Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Monday there would be no ceasefire in the war against Hizbullah in Lebanon until the threat from the group was removed and captured Israeli soldiers were released. "The fighting continues. There is no ceasefire and there will not be any ceasefire in the coming days," Olmert said.
"We will stop the war when the (rocket) threat is removed ... our captive soldiers return home in peace, and you are able to live in safety and security," Olmert told mayors from northern towns. "We are fighting against murderous terrorists and the war will not stop until we clear them from the border."
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said earlier on Monday she believed agreement on a ceasefire and an international peacekeeping force could be forged this week.
Olmert said Israel's offensive in Lebanon had inflicted a heavy blow on Hizbullah from which it may never recover.
In Miami, US President Bush rejected calls for an immediate cease-fire. The American leader said that any truce come with a wider agreement for a "sustainable" and "long-lasting peace."
Bush noted that allies should remember the crisis began with an attack by Hizbullah on Israel, adding "Israel is exercising its right to defend itself."
