[DannyTN]

And this idea that Israel can take defensive actions but not offensive, puts Israel into a tit for tat game that they can scarely afford with a billion Muslims.

If Israel has to take defensive actions, then the cease fire is obviously broken. This sounds like a unilateral cease fire, and the US shouldn't be supporting any such thing.

[Neophyte]

"the absence of any order to return its two captured soldiers" just emphasis on the "need to release unconditionally the abducted Israeli soldiers."

Hmmm, this sounds like the choice between having one's pie and eating it. And I repeat, it is very improbable that they're still alive. This sounds like a unilateral cease fire, and the US shouldn't be supporting any such thing.

Well, it all depends of interpretation. The whole "international public opinion" interpreted Israel's actions as arbitrary and disproportional, but the official US didn't agree. "Israel has the right to defend herself", was their adage... I cannot see why they'd change it.