American Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, at a meeting with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Japan, said that the Kassam rocket attacks against Israel "need to stop" but said that Israeli retaliation is not the solution. Reacting to the death of one Israeli in one of the 40 attacks on the Negev and southern Ashkelon Wednesday, she told the Prime Minister she was sorry about the fatality.
Secretary Rice also expressed her "concern for the innocent people and the humanitarian situation in Gaza." She also praised Prime Minister Olmert and Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas for their "remarkable commitment" in trying to advance negotiations towards the creation of a new Arab state within the current borders of Israel.