Israel's occupation of Arab countries is the root cause of the current tensions in the whole Middle East region, Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika told local media on Sunday.

He said only when Israel withdraws its troops from its occupied Arab territory and recognizes Palestinians' rights to establish its independent state can real peace be achieved in the Middle East.

Bouteflika appealed for international efforts to block Israel's occupation and solve the crisis through negotiation, expressing Algeria's unconditional support for Lebanon and Palestine in their anti-occupation struggle.

The president also called on the Arab countries to coordinate their stands and make joint efforts to force Israel to stop its killings of Arab civilians and mass destruction of infrastructure.

Since the conflict between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah erupted on July 12, the Algerian government has sent medical staffand two batches of humanitarian aid to Lebanon.