Foreign ministers of the European Union (EU) are to meet in Brussels Monday to discuss the Middle East crisis and nationals evacuation.

During the meeting, Javier Solana Madariaga, EU's foreign policy and security chief, would brief the ministers on his talks with Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Saniora in Beirut over the situation in the region.

Over 100 Lebanese, mostly civilians, have been killed and hundreds more injured in Israeli attacks since Israel launched a massive assault in Lebanon after Hezbollah militia kidnapped two Israeli soldiers and killed eight during cross-border clashes on Wednesday.

In addition, the EU ministers are also to discuss the ongoing efforts to evacuate European nationals from Lebanon.

France, Italy, Belgium and Britain have sent planes and boats to help the voluntary evacuation of EU nationals.

The 25-nation bloc has criticized Israel's military attacks on Lebanon, but it also called on Hezbollah to release the captured soldiers "immediately and unconditionally" and to stop its attacks on Israel.

Other nations' evacuation

Alson on Monday, the Indonesian Embassy in Beirut began evacuating 40 Indonesian nationals to Damascus, Syria, following continued attacks by Israel on the Lebanese capital.

The 40 Indonesians included family members of embassy staff, children and female workers in the country, said The Jakarta Post.

"We have decided to evacuate them to Damascus. We put women and children as our top priority," Foreign Ministry spokesman Desra Percaya was quoted as saying.

Desra said the embassy was maintaining contact with dozens of other Indonesian nationals in the country to keep them informed of the latest situation. Speaking about embassy staff members, he said they would remain in Beirut until further notice.

"If security in Beirut worsens, all diplomats will be evacuated," he said.

New Zealand is making plans to evacuate about 30 nationals known to be in Lebanon, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters said Monday.

"Evacuation plans are being made as we speak," Peters, who is in the United States for an official visit, told National Radio.

He said the New Zealand government will work with Britain and France on getting New Zealanders out.

While the military crisis was causing problems, to move people "as much as can be done is being done," he said.

New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark said Monday that the British authorities looked after New Zealand's interests in countries where it had no diplomatic post.

"We will need to be guided by them in their efforts to get out the foreign nationals they're responsible for," she told the Newstalk ZB radio network.

New Zealand officials are now contacting with many of the New Zealanders in Lebanon for evacuation.

The Venezuelan government has begun to evacuate its citizens from Lebanon as Israeli attacks on Hezbollah militants continued, Venezuela's Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.

The announcement was made as Israel launched missiles at targets across Lebanon, killing six people and wounding 33 others and heightening tensions between Israel and Lebanon after Hezbollah rockets struck new targets deeper inside Israel.

According to a statement released by the ministry, Venezuela's diplomatic mission is working to facilitate the departure of its citizens.

"The government of Venezuela shows solidarity with its nationals who have relatives in Lebanese territory, but calls for calm," the statement added.

8 Canadians killed in Lebanon

Eight Canadians were killed and six others seriously wounded in an Israeli air raid that hit a Lebanese town on the border with Israel on Sunday, the Canadian Foreign Ministry confirmed.

Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay said the wounded Canadians were in critical condition after the town of Aitaroun was hit in the fifth day of fighting between the Israeli military and the Lebanese-based militant organization Hezbollah.

Some of the victims were from the same family and had come from Canada to spend the summer holidays in Aitaroun, reports said.

In a statement released earlier Sunday, MacKay said Ottawa is sending in commercial vessels to help any Canadian citizen who wishes to leave Lebanon.

"We are securing commercial vessels and pre-positioning them off the coast of Lebanon. We are also working to secure safe passage for these vessels," said the statement.

Canada is also in the process of deploying additional support, including a planning assistance team and more consular staff, MacKay said.

The Canadian Foreign Affairs Department says 16,000 Canadians have registered with the government to say they are in Lebanon, while estimating that there are likely two to three times that many in the country.

(Xinhua News Agency July 17, 2006)