In Washington, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the US is working toward a UN resolution that would seek an end to hostilities but did not offer specifics. In London, British Prime Minister Tony Blair also said his government is helping efforts for a ceasefire. In his strongest criticism of Israel’s assault on Lebanon so far, Blair said some of the bombing was “unacceptable” but refused to call it disproportionate. Blair also said he would re-start the Israel-Palestine peace process.

• British Prime Minister Tony Blair: “I will most certainly regard as a failure for me if there is not a re-energizing, revitalizing of this process because I believe it to be absolutely fundamental and emblematic of a different vision for the Middle East and I want to see a situation where decent Arab and Muslim people who basically — and I think as people probably know — share the same values as I share: we’re tolerant people; respectful of difference; we want to see peace; we want to see democracy. I want to see us back on the same side again. I don’t like us being on different sides.”