Nabih Berri, Lebanon’s parliamentary speaker who acts as a go-between with Hizbollah, on Monday night rejected proposals brought by Condoleezza Rice, US secretary of state, to end the fighting between the Shia movement and Israel.

Ms Rice arrived in Beirut on her way to Israel for talks with Fouad Siniora, Lebanese prime minister, and other officials at the start of a Middle East mission to secure a “sustainable” ceasefire with Israel.