Israeli sources reported that the United States Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, headed to the Middle East in order to hold talks with the Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, to discuss with him a United Nations resolution on the situation in Lebanon.
Israeli online daily, Haaretz, reported that U.S. President George W. Bush stated on Friday that Rice would return to the Middle East carrying a cease-fire proposal to present to Israel and Lebanon.
She will be also heading to Lebanon for talks with the Lebanese president, Fuad Al Siniora, who also has been pleading for an immediate cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah.
Officials at the US administration said that it was unclear of the UN resolution would be ready by Monday.
The main features of the proposal are prisoner swap, creating an international force and disarming the Lebanon based Hezbollah party, Israeli online daily Haaretz reported.
Rice said the terms and conditions of a cease-fire would involve “a multinational force under UN supervision" that would have a mandate to enforce a peace agreement”, Haaretz added.
Moreover, Israeli justice minister, Haim Ramon, considered the failure of world leaders to issue an immediate call for a ceasefire as “a green light for Israel to carry on with its campaign to crush Hezbollah.
Meanwhile, Britain and France said on Friday that they would press for a UN resolution to end the violence between Israel and Hezbollah.
The American president, George Bush, said during a press conference in Washington with the British Prime Minister Tony Blair that Rice is working with Lebanon and Israel to come up with “an acceptable UN resolution” to be discussed at the UN next week.
Bush also said that an International Force should be deployed in Lebanon to “assist the Lebanese army in controlling the southern borders”.
Blair said he and Bush agreed a UN resolution is needed as soon as possible “to stop hostilities in Lebanon”.
Also, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Turkey and France said they are considering joining a United Nations-run multinational force. But Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations said that he doubts that a major UN involvement in any international force will take place.
