New Delhi, July 26: The Left today demanded that India suspend arms purchases from Israel and send a clearer signal against the bombardment of Lebanon.

The minister of state for external affairs, Anand Sharma, rejected the Left’s charge in the Lok Sabha that Delhi had been silent on the issue. India had “unequivocally condemned” the “disproportionate” and “excessive” use of Israeli force, which had led to the loss of innocent lives. It had also condemned the Hizbollah action, he added.

India was in favour of immediate cessation of hostilities, Sharma said during the zero hour discussion.

The CPI’s Gurudas Dasgupta and the CPM’s Basudeb Acharia and Rupchand Pal said India should suspend arms purchase from Israel. They blamed the US for its tacit support to Israel and alleged that India was not taking a clearer position on the war because of American “involvement”.

“India does not dare to raise a finger against Israeli aggression because India fears it will hamper its relations with the US,” Dasgupta said.

Calling the Israeli action “mad” and “reckless”, he said Delhi should declare Israel the “aggressor”. It should also get its “new friends” ? a reference to America ? to make Israel stop the bombing.

The Left said India should take the lead in mobilising international opinion against Israel, with Acharia suggesting imposition of international sanctions on the country.

Israel had violated international law and the Geneva Conventions by bombing civilian areas in a disproportionate response to the abduction of two Israeli soldiers, Acharia said.

The BJP’s M.A.K. Swain expressed “concern” over the death of Lebanese and Israeli civilians and also condemned Hizbollah for kidnapping Israeli soldiers and triggering the escalation in hostilities. He called for the creation of a buffer zone ? manned by UN peacekeepers ? at the Israel-Lebanon border, and said India should press for this.