Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has expressed hope that the assassination in Beirut of Lebanese Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel will not destabilise the region, a spokeswoman said on Wednesday.
Olmert made the remarks during a telephone conversation late Tuesday with Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi, Miri Eisin told AFP.
"Mr Olmert spoke by phone with Mr Prodi on Tuesday evening and expressed desire that the assassination of Pierre Gemayel does not cause destabilisation in the Middle East, because it is an internal Lebanese matter," the spokeswoman said.
The Israeli and Italian leaders agreed to meet within a few weeks, Eisen added, without specifying when or where such talks may take place.
"The struggle continues in Lebanon and Israel is not involved," Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres told Israeli public radio.
"It's a struggle between Hizbullah which wants to see an Iranian Lebanon and the majority of Lebanese who want a sovereign Lebanon... We need to monitor the situation closely," he added.