"The Middle East will surely be a different place in the future," Moussa was quoted by Egypt's official MENA news agency as saying. "It is the countries and peoples in the Middle East, not outsiders, should decide the vision of the new Mideast."

"Calls for a new Middle East in order to serve a certain state in the region will make any such initiative fail," said the Arab League chief, apparently referring to Israel.

"For a new Middle East to be strong, it should be based one quality and justice," he added.

Moussa made the statements after U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said during her recent visit to the region that Washington would spare no effort to push for a new Mideast.

"What we're seeing here ... are the birth pangs of a new Middle East and whatever we do, we have to be certain that we are pushing forward to the new Middle East, not going back to the old one," said Rice on a diplomatic tour amid escalating violence between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah.

In addition, when commenting on the outcome of an internationalconference on Lebanon held in Rome on Wednesday, Moussa said, "Some might deem the conference successful just because it did notcome up with any ceasefire resolution."

"And maybe for this very same reason, the main goal was not achieved and the UN Security Council should convene immediately to issue a ceasefire resolution," Moussa added.

The Rome conference failed to achieve an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah guerillas. Instead, participants including Rice agreed to work with the utmost urgency for a "lasting, permanent and sustainable" ceasefire.

Moussa also said that the continuing Hezbollah-Israel conflict,which entered the 16th day on Thursday, threatened stability in the Middle East region and that there was a general mood of anxiety and great fears for an all-out destruction.

Israeli troops pressed ahead its assault against Lebanon's Hezbollah guerillas as over 400 Lebanese and 51 Israelis have been killed in the violence so far.

The conflict erupted when Hezbollah guerillas captured two Israeli soldiers and killed eight others during a July 12 cross-border attack.