BEIRUT — Hizbollah said on Monday it had scored a “divine victory” in its conflict with Israel while the Jewish state claimed the upper hand, saying the group now cannot “do what it likes in Lebanon”.

CAIRO (Reuters) — Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit on Monday praised the way Hizbollah held out against Israel for over four weeks but faulted the Islamist group for possible carelessness.

WASHINGTON — U.S. President George Bush said the United Nations resolution to halt the fighting between Israel and Lebanon will stop Hezbollah from acting as a “state within a state” and deal a severe blow to the efforts of Syria and Iran to exert influence in the Middle East.