The secretary general of the Arab League, Amr Mussa, says the Middle East peace process is "dead."

Mussa spoke Saturday in Cairo after an emergency meeting of Arab foreign ministers to discuss the Israeli offensive against Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.

Mussa said the ministers are calling on the United Nations Security Council to intervene to stop the fighting.

Earlier Saturday in St. Petersburg, President Bush blamed Hezbollah for the escalating violence in the Middle East. He called on Syria to exert influence on the Lebanese militant group to lay down its arms.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Israel's concerns were justified but he said that the "use of force should be balanced."

In Tehran, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad compared Israel's behavior to Adolf Hitler during World War Two. He said Israel, like Hitler, was using a pretext to attack other nations

Mr. Ahmadinejad has frequently used harsh rhetoric when speaking about Israel. Last year, he drew international condemnation when he said Israel should be "wiped off the map."