On the diplomatic front, efforts by the United Nations Security Council to secure a ceasefire appear to be faltering. On Saturday the United States and France announced they had agreed on a draft resolution. But Lebanon and other Arab states rejected the proposal. This is Lebanon’s special envoy to the United Nations Nouhad Mahmoud.

• Nouhad Mahmoud: “We appreciate all the efforts made to come up with this draft but unfortunately it lacked for instance a call for withdrawal of Israeli forces which are now in Lebanon, and that’s recipe for more confrontation.”

Lebanon’s envoy Nouhad Mahmoud also said the resolution must order the Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Shebaa Farms. Lebanon accused the U.S. of drafting a resolution slanted toward Israel. Meanwhile Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged the Security Council to quickly approve the resolution. She said its passage will determine “who’s for peace and who isn’t.”