TRIPOLI - Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad appealed for Muslim unity in confronting Israel, upon his arrival in Libya, the second stop in a three-nation tour of the Arab world.

"We call on all Muslim countries to unify their positions in order to confront Israel's aggression," Mahathir told reporters at Tripoli's airport.

He was commenting against the backdrop of Israel's three-week military campaign in the West Bank that has left hundreds of Palestinians dead and more than 4,000 people arrested.

He also told reporters he wanted to work with Libya to boost bilateral trade.

Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi welcomed Mahathir at his compound in Tripoli.

Mahathir arrived from a three-day visit to Morocco and will also visit Bahrain after his one-day stop in Libya.