Rice visits Middle East to push for cease-fire

Hundreds have died in the three weeks of fighting.
JERUSALEM (AP) -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's shuttle diplomacy brought her to the Middle East on Saturday for consultations with Israeli and Lebanese leaders on U.S. proposals intended to end the violence.
Rice stressed the difficulty of ending the three weeks of fighting between Israelis and Hezbollah guerrillas who dominate the border region. Yet the chief U.S. diplomat is hoping to make strides toward an agreement that will clear the way for a U.N. resolution within a week.
"These are really hard and emotional decisions for both sides, under extreme pressure in a difficult set of circumstances," Rice told reporters on her trip from Malaysia, where she attended a meeting on Asian issues. "And so I expect the discussions to be difficult but there will have to be give-and-take."
Diplomacy
Rice had dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert after arriving in Jerusalem, but did not speak publicly afterward. Today she planned to meet with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defense Minister Amir Peretz.
Officials have not disclosed who else she might see during her second stopover in a week to the Middle East. Rice's weeklong trip has included last-minute schedule changes, including a surprise visit to Beirut last Monday.
All sides seemingly want to end the fighting. But the United States and Israel are pressing for a settlement that addresses enduring issues between Lebanon and Israel, rather than an immediate cease-fire favored by numerous world leaders.
The trick will be negotiating a plan to address contentious issues such as prisoner exchanges and border disputes.
A small piece of land, Chebaa Farms, could prove critical to a resolution. Israel has occupied it since 1967, despite Lebanese claims.
Hundreds have died in the fighting, mostly Lebanese civilians, drawing international condemnation. Less than four hours after Rice's arrival, a U.N. spokesman said two U.N. peacekeepers were wounded by an Israeli airstrike that hit their post in southern Lebanon. Last week, four peacekeepers died in an Israeli airstrike.
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