Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the United Nations has invited Malaysia to join a UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon.

"The United Nations has approved the deployment of 360 Malaysian peacekeepers in Lebanon," Abdullah was quoted as saying by the official Bernama news agency in New York Tuesday.

Abdullah is in New York to attend the UN General Assembly gathering.

Malaysia had earlier offered 1,000 soldiers for the expanded UN peacekeeping force, and has argued it has a role to play as a member of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, which it is currently chairing.

Malaysia does not have diplomatic ties with Israel, which has objected to countries taking part which do not recognise the Jewish state.

Malaysia strongly criticised Israel during its military offensive in Lebanon in July and August, but said Malaysian troops, which have peacekeeping experience in other countries, would be impartial.