Jerusalem – Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Saturday that she hoped the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas would end in “a day or so.”
In an interview with Israel Television, Rice said that U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan “is working with the parties to establish a timetable for the cease-fire, but I would hope that within no more than a day or so that there would be a cessation of the hostilities on the ground.”
Rice also said she believes that the cease-fire deal enhances Israel’s security.
The U.N. Security Council adopted a resolution on Friday seeking a “full cessation” of violence between Israel and Hezbollah, offering the region its best chance yet for peace after a month of fighting that has killed nearly 900 people.
The resolution, adopted unanimously, authorizes 15,000 U.N. peacekeepers to help Lebanese troops take control of south Lebanon as Israeli forces that have occupied the area withdraw.
