Rice trip cancelled after Israeli air strike

THE United States urged Israel to take more care to avoid civilian casualties in Lebanon after an air strike killed at least 60 people, but still resisted calls for an immediate ceasefire.

More than half the dead were children, killed in an Israeli air strike that crushed a building, the deadliest attack of the campaign against Hezbollah.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice decided to return early to Washington with her diplomatic mission derailed after Lebanese leaders told her not to come.

White House spokesman Tony Snow said Ms Rice was working to arrange the conditions for a “sustainable” halt to the violence as soon as possible.

“This is a horrible event, a terrible event, and we certainly want to make it clear that not only do we feel sorrow for what happened, but determination that it really is important to end the conditions that led to that,” Mr Snow told a group of reporters by telephone.

US President George W Bush is under pressure from Arab leaders as well as many in Europe who want an immediate ceasefire.

Lebanon’s prime minister said his country would not talk to the Americans over anything but an unconditional ceasefire.

Ms Rice, in Jerusalem for talks with Israeli officials, said she was “deeply saddened by the terrible loss of innocent life” but stopped short of calling for an immediate end to the hostilities.

However, she made one of her strongest statements yet saying: “We want a ceasefire as soon as possible.”

Before news of the strike emerged, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told Ms Rice Israel would likely fight on for another 10 to 14 days.

Mr Olmert said Israel “is not in a hurry to have a ceasefire” before it achieves its goals of decimating Hezbollah.

“We will not stop this battle, despite the difficult incidents this morning,” Mr Olmert told his cabinet after the strike, according to a participant. “We will continue the activity and if necessary it will be broadened without hesitation.”

The Lebanese government this week had put forward ideas on disarming Hezbollah and deploying an international force in the south. But after the strike, Prime Minister Fuad Saniora said any negotiations on a broader deal were off.

“We will not negotiate until the Israeli war stops shedding the blood of innocent people,” he told a news conference

Thirty-three Israeli soldiers have died, and Hezbollah rocket attacks on northern Israel have killed 18 civilians, Israeli authorities said, correcting earlier reports of 19 civilian dead.

More than 750,000 Lebanese have fled their homes from the fighting.