On Tuesday Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice rejected an immediate ceasefire and said one could only occur once certain conditions are met. During a joint news conference in Washington, she openly disagreed about the issue with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Abu al-Gheit.

• Ahmad Abu al-Gheit: A cease-fire is imperative and we have to keep working to reach that objective. It is imperative. We have to bring it to an end as soon as possible. Thank you.”

• Reporter: “Cease-fire now?”

• Condoleezza Rice: “We all agree that it should happen as soon as possible, when conditions are conducive to do so.”

Secretary of State Rice is expected to head to the Middle East within the next week but no official plans have been announced. According to the Wall Street Journal her mission will not be to arrange for a ceasefire but to “build support for the effective crippling of Hezbollah.”