US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Tuesday Washington backed a proposal by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

"We need urgently to conclude a ceasefire that can endure and that can bring real security," Rice told the UN Security Council. "In this regard we are pleased by and wish to commend the statement of the president of Egypt and to follow up on that initiative." (Reuters)