Washington - The United States is pushing for a ceasefire
in the Gaza Strip that would require Hamas to halt rocket attacks
into Israel but would also open crossings into the isolated enclave,
US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Monday.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke to more than a dozen
counterparts over the weekend seeking support for the initiative,
which would also address tunnels used by Hamas to smuggle weapons
from Egypt as part as the three-point approach, McCormack said.
The goal is to create a 'sustainable, durable ceasefire' that
would bring a lasting end to Hamas rocket attacks into southern
Israel, which triggered Israel's military offensive in Gaza 10
days ago.
More than 500 Palestinians have died in the fighting. Israel has
rejected international calls for an immediate ceasefire, seeking to
cripple the Hamas radical movement so it cannot fire rockets.
President George W Bush said Monday that any ceasefire would have
to ensure Hamas does not continue rocket attacks.
'All of us, of course, would like to see ... violence stop, but
not at the expense of an agreement that does not prevent the crisis
from happening again,' Bush said.
Rice spoke with foreign ministers in the Middle East, including
Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, as well as with her
counterparts in Europe. Among them were British Foreign Secretary
David Miliband, and the French and German foreign ministers Bernard
Kouchner and Frank Walter-Steinmeier.
Rice cancelled a trip to China to remain in Washington and handle
the crisis in the Middle East. McCormack said she had no plans to
travel to the region.
Israel followed its massive air assault with a ground invasion
that began Saturday.
McCormack would not directly comment on the Israeli incursion,
saying only 'every sovereign state needs to decide for itself how
best to defend itself.' He again urged Israel to take steps to avoid
civilian casualties.
The conflict in Gaza has sparked outrage throughout Arab
countries and has further undermined talks between Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas, whose Fatah party controls the West Bank,
and Israel.
Hamas in December declared it would not extend a six-month
ceasefire and subsequently stepped up rocket attacks into Israel.
The United States regards Hamas as a terrorist organization and
refuses to hold any contact with the group.
Hamas forced Abbas' forces out of the Gaza Strip in June 2007 and
seized control of the province, dividing the two Palestinian
territories.
Meanwhile, Arab countries in New York were seeking a UN Security
Council resolution calling for an end to the fighting. The United
States has refused to sign onto any resolution that singles out the
Israelis as the culprit in the fighting. Arab diplomats were
preparing a resolution that could go to a vote as soon as Tuesday.
White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said the Bush administration
will work to bring an end to the fighting as quickly as possible,
but would not rule out the possibility the situation will spill over
to president-elect Barack Obama, who succeeds Bush on January 20.
'We want to get it done as soon as possible,' she said. 'If we
can do that beforehand, that would be something we'd want to
achieve.'
McCormack said Rice spoke with Senator Hillary Clinton about the
crisis on Thursday. Obama has nominated Clinton to become his
secretary of state.
Obama, speaking to reporters during a series of congressional
meetings, said Monday he was receiving daily briefings on the
situation in the Gaza Strip but did not signal whether he would
alter the current US policy.
Obama stuck to his position of not commenting on foreign policy
before Bush leaves.
'It is particularly important to adhere to the principle of one
president at a time, because there are delicate negotiations taking
place right now, and we can't have two voices coming out of the
United States,' Obama said attending a series of meetings with
members of Congress.
Obama said he will continue discussions with members of the Bush
administration on Gaza developments. Some Arab diplomats have
expressed disappointment Obama has not spoken out on the fighting.
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