AN ISRAELI AIR STRIKE KILLED AT LEAST 40 LEBANESE CIVILIANS, INCLUDING 23 CHILDREN, ON SUNDAY, PROMPTING THE LEBANESE GOVERNMENT TO TELL U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE CONDOLEEZZA RICE SHE WAS UNWELCOME IN BEIRUT BEFORE A CEASEFIRE. THE FOLLOWING ARE SOME COMMENTS, ACCORDING TO REUTERS, ON THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN THE 19-DAY-OLD ISRAEL-HIZBOLLAH CONFLICT: LEBANESE PRIME MINISTER FOUAD SINIORA: "THERE IS NO PLACE ON THIS SAD MORNING FOR ANY DISCUSSION OTHER THAN AN IMMEDIATE AND UNCONDITIONAL CEASEFIRE AS WELL AS AN INTERNATIONAL INVESTIGATION INTO THE ISRAELI MASSACRES IN LEBANON NOW." SINIORA TOLD A NEWS CONFERENCE IN BEIRUT. SINIORA CALLED FOR UNITY "IN THE FACE OF THE ISRAELI WAR CRIMINALS". "THE PERSISTENCE OF ISRAEL IN ITS HEINOUS CRIMES AGAINST OUR CIVILIANS WILL NOT BREAK THE WILL OF THE LEBANESE PEOPLE," HE SAID. U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE CONDOLEEZZA RICE: "I THINK IT IS TIME TO GET TO A CEASEFIRE ... WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO TRY AND PUT ONE IN PLACE," RICE TOLD REPORTERS IN JERUSALEM. "MY WORK TOWARDS A CEASEFIRE IS REALLY HERE TODAY." "WE HAVE TO TRY AND DO OUR WORK WELL SO THAT THERE WILL NOT BE MORE AND MORE AND MORE INCIDENTS OVER MANY, MANY MORE YEARS." JORDAN'S KING ABDULLAH: "THIS CRIMINAL AGGRESSION IS AN UGLY CRIME THAT HAS BEEN COMMITTED BY THE ISRAELI FORCES IN THE CITY OF QANA THAT IS A GROSS VIOLATION OF ALL INTERNATIONAL STATUTES." FRENCH PRESIDENT JACQUES CHIRAC: "THE PRESIDENT LEARNT WITH CONCERN ABOUT THE ACT OF VIOLENCE WHICH COST THE LIVES OF NUMEROUS INNOCENT VICTIMS, NOTABLY WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN QANA," CHRIAC'S OFFICE SAID IN A STATEMENT. "FRANCE CONDEMNS THIS UNJUSTIFIED ACTION WHICH DEMONSTRATES MORE THAN EVER THE NEED FOR AN IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE WITHOUT WHICH THERE WILL ONLY BE OTHER SUCH INCIDENTS." HIZBOLLAH STATEMENT: "THIS HORRIFIC MASSACRE (AT QANA) WILL NOT GO WITHOUT A RESPONSE." BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY MARGARET BECKETT: "IT'S ABSOLUTELY DREADFUL, IT'S QUITE APPALLING. UNDOUBTEDLY TODAY'S EVENTS WILL MAKE THINGS WORSE AT LEAST IN THE SHORT TERM," SHE TOLD SKY NEWS. "WE HAVE REPEATEDLY URGED ISRAEL TO ACT PROPORTIONATELY." "PRETTY WELL EVERYONE IN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY ... WANTS TO SEE A CEASEFIRE." THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION: "THE COMMISSION HAS REPEATEDLY REQUESTED THAT BOTH PARTIES COME TO A CEASEFIRE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND THAT UNDER ALL CIRCUMSTANCES BOTH PARTIES SHOULD STICK TO HUMANITARIAN NORMS AND INTERNATIONAL LAW," SAID SPOKESWOMAN KATHARINA VON SCHNURBEIN.
