It may be the first ray of hope. Secretary of State Rice told Larry King that the U.S. would accept an immediate cease-fire in Lebanon as the first phase in ending the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

It’s not clear, however, whether this signals a change in U.S. policy. (Even after reading this article a few times, we’re still kind of baffled, actually.)

AP:

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice expressed support Thursday for an immediate cease-fire in Lebanon as the first phase in ending the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. It was the most concrete signal yet that the U.S. may be willing to compromise on the stalemate over how to end the fighting.

Moving closer to the position that France and other European countries are taking, Rice predicted that a U.N. Security Council resolution would be approved within days that would include a cease-fire and describe principles for a lasting peace.

On CNN’s “Larry King Live,” Rice said the U.S. is moving “towards being able to do this in phases that will permit first an end or a stoppage in the hostilities and based on the establishment on some very important principles for how we move forward,” according to a partial transcript of the show being aired Thursday night.

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