Special Report: Israel-Lebanon conflicts

    WASHINGTON, July 23 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Chief of Staff of White House Joshua Bolten said on Sunday that the United States is open to the deployment of peacekeeping troops on the Lebanon-Israel border but U.S. forces will not participate.

    U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is to arrive in the Middle East on Monday to discuss the deployment of peacekeeping troops in Lebanon and the humanitarian aids, Bolten said in an interview with the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC).

    He reiterated that the cessation of hostilities has to address the root causes of the conflict -- Hezbollah and its allies.

    John Bolton, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, said that the United States will seriously consider Israel's proposal to deploy a NATO-led peacekeeping force on Lebanon-Israel border.

    On July 17, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan appealed that the international community should consider the deployment of a peacekeeping force in Southern Lebanon.

    More than 360 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Israel's attacks against Lebanon since July 12. Israel has reported 36 casualties resulted from the conflict. Enditem