Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora has asked Spain to participate in the UN peacekeeping force planned to be sent to the country, the Spanish government said on Sunday.

Siniora made the request early on Sunday morning during a telephone conversation with his Spanish counterpart, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. The two also discussed the text of the Resolution 1701 adopted by the UN Security Council and the ceasefire scheduled to come into force on Monday.

In addition, Siniora expressed his gratitude to Zapatero for the "sensitivity" shown by Spain when Lebanon was under attack by Israeli forces during the one-month-old conflict.

Over 1,000 Lebanese and about 150 Israelis have been killed since July 12, when Israel started a massive assault against Lebanon's Hezbollah guerrillas who seized two Israeli soldiers and killed eight during a cross-border attack.

To end the escalation of violence, the UN Security Council on Friday unanimously adopted a resolution, calling for an Israeli troops withdrawal and authorizing an increase of the existing UN force in Lebanon to 15,000 troops to help Lebanese troops take control of south Lebanon as Israel withdraws.