The Syrian cabinet emphasized on Tuesday the readiness in all fields to face all future scenarios as Israel continued to bomb neighboring Lebanon for the seventh day.

Prime Minister Mohammad Naji Ottri underlined "the importance of coordination and integration of government performance" to upgrade readiness in all sectors in order to "face all prospects in the future", the official SANA news agency reported.

Chairing a weekly cabinet meeting, the premier hailed the steadfastness of the national resistance in Lebanon and its qualitative operations that inflicted grave loss to the Jewish state.

The ministers reviewed the developments on the Lebanese and Palestinian arenas and support needed by the Lebanese and Palestinians in addition to what Syria is providing in medical and food aid.

They also denounced the "Arab and international silence" to the brutal Israeli offensive, pressing for decisive and quick steps to deter Israeli hostilities and attacks on Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.

On Sunday, Syria vowed to respond "directly and harshly" if it was attacked by Israel, although Israel's head of military operations General Gadi Azincot said that Syria was not an objective of the ongoing Israeli operation in Lebanon.

Syria, a close ally of the Lebanese Hizbollah, withdrew its troops from Lebanon in April 2005 under international pressure after the assassination of ex-premier Rafik Hariri, ending a 29- year military presence in Lebanon.

Israel waged a massive assault in Lebanon on July 12 after two Israeli soldiers were snatched and eight others killed by Hizbollah militia in a cross-border attack.

Source: Xinhua