Saad Hariri, the son of slain former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri accused Syrian President Bashar Assad of trying to sow strife in Lebanon, and said Israel had a history of "living off the blood" of Palestinian, Lebanese and other Arab people.

"The history of Israel is a black history, a hateful one, of destruction," said Saad Hariri, in a speech praising the Lebanese army for moving into south Lebanon.

"Israeli attacks can destroy Lebanon [physically] but will not touch Lebanese unity," Hariri said.

Hariri was responding to a speech Tuesday by the Syrian leader in which he accused Lebanon's anti-Syrian groups of allying themselves with Israel, which bombarded Lebanon for 34 days.