Beirut, Sept 3 (ZEENEWS.COM) Lebanese MPs on Saturday started a day and night sit-in to protest at Israel's continued blockade of Lebanon, almost three weeks after a UN-brokered ceasefire in its deadly onslaught against Hezbollah.

Some 100 deputies of the 128-member house were taking part in the protest at the parliament building in central Beirut that opened with a minute's silence in memory of the 1,200 Lebanese, almost all civilians, killed in the Israeli offensive.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri in a speech urged fellow Arab countries to defy the air and sea blockade by sending boats to Lebanon without seeking authorisation from Israelis.

The international community, Berri said, should "take all necessary measures to lift the Israeli blockade which constitutes an extension of Israel's terrorist war".

The blockade, in force since the war erupted after Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers on July 12, was "not only being imposed on Lebanon but also the United Nations and (Security Council) Resolution 1701", he said.

The resolution brought a halt to 34 days of deadly clashes between Israel and the Shiite movement Hezbollah and called for the blockade to be lifted.

Berri, who called the sit-in during a visit on Thursday to South Lebanon which bore the brunt of the fighting, told the mass-circulation daily an-Nahar that it would continue "night and day until the lifting of the blockade".

Before the closure is lifted, Israel insists on a significant deployment of foreign forces, as also called for by resolution 1701, to curb arms deliveries to Hezbollah which has defied Security Council calls for its disarmament.