U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., argued yesterday that there should be no cease-fire in Lebanon until Israel defeats Hezbollah.

A halt to military action without the elimination of the threat posed by the Shiite militia, the Republican said, would embolden not only Israel's enemies across its northern border, but a broader array of champions of "Islamic fascism," led by Iran.

"That's why it is absolutely incumbent on us not to agree to a cease-fire at this point," Mr. Santorum said during a campaign appearance in Green Tree. "It would be a horrible sign for all of us who believe that the only way to defeat Islamic totalitarianism, Islamic fascism, is to stop them. ... They are not going away."

Mr. Santorum spoke as President Bush reiterated a similar position. In an appearance in Florida, the president resisted calls for an immediate halt to the fighting, emphasizing that any peace deal must ensure that Hezbollah is crippled. He said Iran and Syria must stop backing the Shiite militant group with money and weapons.

"As we work with friends and allies, it's important to remember this crisis began with Hezbollah's unprovoked attacks against Israel. Israel is exercising its right to defend itself," Mr. Bush said.

Israel announced a temporary halt in its bombing campaign, although not an overall cease-fire, after scores of Lebanese civilians were killed in a bombing of the town of Qana. The event caused Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice to cut short a trip to Beirut in favor of efforts to craft a cease-fire through the United Nations.

But Mr. Bush cautioned that the administration's goal remained "a sustainable cease-fire, a cease-fire that will last."

Mr. Santorum's warnings yesterday were generally consistent with the administration's recent rhetoric on the fighting.

Last month, however, the senator struck a tougher tone in a National Press Club speech in which he said that the United States should seek regime change in Iran as part of a worldwide struggle against "Islamic fascism." While challenging Iran's nuclear ambitions, the Bush administration has not been willing to go so far as to demand a change in the government it seeks to negotiate with.

"Obviously, Iran is the chief facilitator and instigator when it comes to Hezbollah," Mr. Santorum said after an appearance in which he received the endorsement of a veterans group.

"This is a global movement ... that is a great threat to our country. We need to identify it for what it is. In spite of the fact that I got a great deal of blow-back from some quarters on the speech I gave ... it's important for us to articulate who the enemy is, define them and confront them."

Speaking at the outset of the escalation of the Israeli-Hezbollah fighting, Mr. Santorum's challenger, Democratic Treasurer Bob Casey, stressed his support for Israel's right to defend itself and cautioned against second-guessing its military strategy.

A spokesman for the Democrat said the campaign had no comment on Mr. Santorum's latest statement on the fighting.