PARIS (AFP) -- Demonstrators lit candles in cities across the world from Paris to Hong Kong at peaceful vigils to call for a ceasefire in the Middle East, as Israeli warplanes battered Lebanon and Hezbollah fighters fired missiles into Israel.

Vigils were reported to have taken place in Asian, African and European cities as part of a series of events planned in 22 countries by branches of the London-based global human rights body Amnesty International.

In the French capital, dozens of people dressed in black lay down on the ground imitating corpses beside a fountain in the central neighborhood of Beaubourg.

Amnesty delivered a petition to the door of British Prime Minister's office in Downing Street, London. It asked for the conflict to stop on the grounds, Amnesty said, that it violated international humanitarian law.

A blistering offensive by Israeli military planes and ground troops aimed at crushing Hezbollah Shiite militants in Lebanon is in its fourth week. More than 1,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Lebanon as well as dozens of Israeli soldiers.

Dozens of civilians have also been killed in Israel by Hezbollah rocket attacks.

In Rome several hundred people gathered at the foot of an ancient Roman arena, the Coliseum, where candles were lit spelling out "ceasefire" in Italian.

In Hong Kong, about 100 people took part in a candle-lit vigil on the harbour waterfront, observing a minute's silence and spelling out "ceasefire" in English and Chinese.

Dozens of people joined an event involving speeches and prayers in the Taiwanese capital Taipei.