(BRUSSELS) - The European Union assured Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora of its "full support" on Friday after Hezbollah fighters seized control of west Beirut and pushed Lebanon towards all-out civil war.

"The EU condemns the latest acts of violence in the strongest terms and reaffirms its full support to the Lebanese government, that has acted to uphold the law and to ensure the integrity and the sovereignty of Lebanon," said EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana.

"I call all parties to act responsibly and find a solution to the crisis through dialogue and within the national institutions," said the statement from Solana issued after he had spoken to Siniora by telephone.

Beirut has been rocked since Thursday by street battles since Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said a crackdown by the pro-Western government on his group, which is backed by both Iran and Syria, was a declaration of war.

A political standoff, which first erupted in November 2006 when six pro-Syrian ministers quit the cabinet, has left Lebanon without a president since November, when pro-Syrian Emile Lahoud stepped down.

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