State television on Thursday broadcast pictures of "Israeli spy gear" unearthed in Syria, in what it said was proof of Israel's involvement in the armed revolt against President Bashar Assad.

The broadcaster showed footage of rocks used to "camouflage" surveillance cameras found on the Syrian coast, as well as recording and video devices to transmit pictures and audio "in real time" from "sensitive locations".

Israeli President Shimon Peres on Thursday urged the EU to brand Hizbullah a terrorist group, as failing to do so would only encourage it to expand its operations.

Peres said Hizbullah, which the EU has so far declined to put on a list of international terrorist groups, was now intervening directly in Syria against rebels opposed to President Bashar Assad and so was spreading its reach.

The government closed a border crossing with Syria and sent in military reinforcements after cross-border fire killed an Iraqi soldier, the defense ministry's spokesman said on Thursday.

Mohammed al-Askari told Agence France Presse that the Yaarubiyeh crossing between eastern Syrian and the northern Iraqi province of Nineveh, near where Syrian regime forces and rebels battled on Saturday, had been closed.

Germany's foreign minister warned on Thursday that delivering weapons to Syria's rebels could result in an arms race in the region and stressed the EU would send only "defensive" equipment.

In an interview with the Tagesspiegel daily, Guido Westerwelle said the situation in Syria was "shocking" and said Berlin would do everything it could contribute to a political solution "despite all the difficulties."

Syrian fighter jets on Thursday pounded Raqa, a day after rebels took full control of the northern city, a watchdog said, raising concern for the fate of loyalists who surrendered.

The flag of the Islamist Al-Nusra Front, which led the rebel assault on Raqa, flew on the building housing the city's former feared military intelligence branch, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

National Struggle Front leader MP Walid Jumblat assured that he will not wage the parliamentary elections under the controversial Orthodox Gathering draft-law, assuring that it's better for political parties to agree on a law that pleases all parties, the pan Arab Asharq al-Awsat daily reported Thursday.

In an interview with the daily, Jumblat disagreed with sayings that the Christian politicians in Lebanon made an unprecedented stance uniting on the Orthodox draft-law.

The Philippines on Thursday strongly condemned the hostage-taking of 21 Filipino U.N. peacekeepers by Syrian rebels in the Golan Heights ceasefire zone and demanded their immediate release.

The soldiers, part of a 300-strong Filipino peacekeeping unit, were detained at a rebel observation point on Wednesday by gunmen who said the troops would be held until Syrian regime forces pulled back from a Golan village.

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea considered on Thursday that the Lebanese foes should reconsider dialogue to confront the current situation in the country and to achieve swift solutions over the electoral law and other main issues.

Geagea expressed readiness to resume dialogue with the rival parties to resolve the ongoing disputes.

The United Arab Emirates reiterated warnings to its citizens not to travel to Lebanon over security fears, media reports said on Thursday.

According to al-Akhbar newspaper, UAE called on citizens who wish to head to Lebanon to fill an application that confirms that their visit to Beirut is on their own responsibility.

The Arab League said on Wednesday it is prepared to hand Syria's seat in the organisation to the opposition battling to oust President Bashar Assad if it sets up an executive body, as Lebanon expressed that it is a "dangerous step".

The League, in a resolution adopted at a meeting of foreign ministers in Cairo, called for the opposition National Coalition "to form an executive body to take up Syria's seat" and attend its next summit, in Doha on March 26-27.