UNITED NATIONS, July 13: As the crisis in the Middle East degenerated into a major conflict, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Thursday decided to send a three-person team, led by his Special Political Advisor Vijay Nambiar, to the Middle East to help defuse the crisis in the region.

The other members will be Alvaro de Soto and Terje Roed Larsen, said a UN spokesman at a press briefing.

The team will first visit Cairo to meet Egyptian officials and consult with Arab League Foreign Ministers, who will be meeting there on Saturday.

Mr Nambiar and his team are also expected to travel to Israel, occupied Palestinian territories, Lebanon and Syria. Other stops will be added as needed.

Mr Nambiar will emphasise to all parties the secretary-general’s call to exercise restraint and to do whatever possible to help contain the conflict.

He will also reiterate the secretary-general’s message to respect international humanitarian law and to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.

As Israeli fighter planes struck targets in Beirut and south Lebanon on Thursday, it prompted President Bush to express concern that the Israeli action might “topple” the Lebanese government.

Israel is already engaged in an expanding military offensive in the Gaza Strip.