Saying there are no "quick fixes," U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice laid out a series of proposals Friday for a diplomatic solution to the Israeli-Hezbollah conflict, but did not call for a ceasefire, ahead of her weekend visit to the region.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said a ceasefire 'would be a false promise if it simply returns us to the status quo.' (Evan Vucci/Associated Press)
Rice said Israel must take all possible care to avoid harming innocent civilians and civilian infrastructure while exercising what she called its right of self-defence.
However, "it's important to remember that the cause of the current violence was Hezbollah's illegal attack from Lebanese territory," she added.
"It is unacceptable to have a situation where the decision of a terrorist group can drag an entire country, even an entire region, into violence."
