Around 15 foreign ministers from a total of 22 Arab League member states are due to participate in the talks to which the warring Palestinian Hamas and Fatah factions have been summoned, according to the reports.

The Islamic Hamas movement and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement have been threatened with the withdrawal of money pledged to them by league members if they do not attend, the reports said.

Concrete discussions concerning the deployment of Arab peacekeeping troops to the Gaza Strip were however not expected.

Arab League leaders would also discuss the series of bomb blasts in Lebanon, the latest of which killed prominent anti-Syrian MP Walid Eido along with his son and eight other people Wednesday.

Yesterday Lebanon's prime minister Fouad Siniora called on the Arab League to take action to protect Lebanon.

The conflict between Islamist extremists and the Lebanese Army centered around the Palestinian refugee camp at Nahr al-Bared would also be discussed.

The international tribunal appointed to investigate the murder of the former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri was not on the agenda.

The tribunal, for which Lebanese and foreign judges are currently being sought, is one of the major causes of conflict between the anti-Syrian government majority and the pro-Syrian opposition in Lebanon.

Hariri urges Arab League to "boycott the terrorist regime of Syria”

Lebanon’s parliamentary majority leader Saad Hariri blamed Syria for the murder of MP Walid Eido yesterday and called for the Arab League to “boycott the terrorist regime” targeting his country.

“It is the same fingers which killed Rafik Hariri,” said MP Saad Hariri who has publicly accused Damascus of murdering his father, a five-time prime minister of Lebanon, in a car bomb attack in February 2005.

“Either the Arab League takes up its responsibility ... and protects Lebanon, or they have to boycott the terrorist regime which attacks Lebanon in front of the eyes of the Arab world,” he said.

Picture: Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa stands under the league's emblem. Unfortunately the Lebanese do not expect much from Moussa, since he has never delivered on any attempt to resolve Lebanon , Syria problems. He is known to be a supporter of antiquated Arab regimes like Syria's

Sources: Agencies, Ya Libnan

Manara Bombing Coverage on Ya Libnan

* Fisk: Assassination brings Lebanon closer to brink
* Arab League meets to discuss Gaza and Lebanon
* Another day of mourning in Lebanon after another murder
* Two star athletes in Lebanon among terrorist bomb victims
* Video of Walid Jumblatt responding to Walid Eido Assassination
* Lebanon mourns assassinated MP amidst calls for revenge
* No peace for Lebanon without Int'l forces on borders with Syria
* Syria must answer for its murders in Lebanon
* Lebanon MP assassination condemned worldwide, but Syria silent
* Lebanon's Hariri points finger at Syria as the terrorist serial killer
* Events in Lebanon since Hariri's murder point to a trend
* Video of massive Beirut explosion in Manara
* Eyewitness account of today's massive Beirut explosion
* Lebanon MP Walid Eido was the target of today's explosion, Bio
* Anti-Syrian Politician Assassinated, 10 killed in Beirut Bomb
* Massive explosion in Beirut's Manara Waterfront