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British Ambassador to Israel Tom Phillips inspecting spent Qassam rockets during a visit to a police station in Sderot on Monday. (Natalie Rubinstein / British Embassy)
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U.S., U.K. back Israel's right to defend itself against rocket fire
By Haaretz Service and The Associated Press

The United States and the United Kingdom backed Israel's right to defend itself in the face of ongoing Qassam rocket fire from the Gaza Strip on Monday, while calling on Israel to avoid unnecessary damage and loss of life among the Palestinians.

"Israel is faced with the difficult challenge countering these continued rocket attacks from Gaza into Israeli territory," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said. "They have a right to defend themselves."

He said the United States has urged Israeli officials to avoid any undue damage against the Palestinian infrastructure as well as to take into account how their actions can impact peace diplomacy with the Palestinians.

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British Ambassador to Israel Tom Phillips visited Sderot on Monday to witness firsthand the damage caused by the rockets.

"It is terrible that civilian life in southern Israel is under daily fire," he said. "The Palestinians must stop these attacks."

"Israel is in a difficult position, and has the right to defend itself from such attacks against its civilians," continued Phillips. "But any response should be in accordance with international law, and should seek to avoid civilian casualties."

"This was the third time I have visited Sderot since my arrival in Israel last August, and I wanted to understand the impact of these latest Qassam attacks and personally to express the sympathy of my government to the people of Sderot for the suffering they are undergoing," he said.
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  1.   Giving themselves an out 19:41  |  Michael 21/05/07
  2.   Dear British Ambassador 19:55  |  sam 21/05/07
  3.   OK Israelis can stop whinging now 20:04  |  Chris Linthwaite 21/05/07
  4.   israel leading the western world into barbarism 20:24  |  golara hamzeh 21/05/07
  5.   slowly but surely the west is waking up 20:27  |  don 21/05/07
  6.   Response to #2 Sam 20:31  |  Dora 21/05/07
  7.   PALESTINE FATIGUE 20:33  |  Rodrigo 21/05/07
  8.   Calling a terrorist organisation what it is! 20:40  |  Ben Azai 21/05/07
  9.   #2 Exactly, Sam 20:40  |  T A Sheppard 21/05/07
  10.   One way deal 20:42  |  Joe 21/05/07
  11.   Hurrah for Civilization 20:44  |  Francois 21/05/07
  12.   U.S., U.K. back Israel`s right to defend itself against rocket f 20:44  |  itsme 21/05/07
  13.   uk support of israel; uk is not morally 20:46  |  terry 21/05/07
  14.   # 3 Linthwaite 20:48  |  Lynn 21/05/07
  15.   What a pathetic article 20:50  |  Marlene 21/05/07
  16.   Israel`s Right to Defend Herself 20:51  |  Betty Christine 21/05/07
  17.   "Chris" Yoyne Lintwit,Israelis whinge less than Brits did when 20:56  |  Absolute Sweden 21/05/07
  18.   the world is in our favour this time... for now 20:59  |  Joe 21/05/07
  19.   To Sam 21:00  |  Klomp 21/05/07
  20.   I assume the US and UK in Iraq 21:04  |  Ben 21/05/07
  21.   England sorry deal with it? International law? 21:10  |  Steven 21/05/07
  22.   #14 Lynn I have no doubt 21:15  |  Chris Linthwaite 21/05/07
  23.   Int`l Law has no Law dealin` against Arab Urban Terror , 21:27  |  Joseph E . 21/05/07
  24.   Dear Mr Envoy 21:31  |  Mary 21/05/07
  25.   #17 You still alive? 21:35  |  Chris Linthwaite 21/05/07
  26.   Note to IDF: Defend against attackers, not civilians 21:38  |  Natallie Durson 21/05/07
  27.   What a LOAD 21:40  |  Jeff 21/05/07
  28.   golara hamzeh has obviously had a traumatic brain injury 21:41  |  TAZ 21/05/07
  29.   It`s actually quite funny 21:47  |  Steve 21/05/07
  30.   Marlene from NY open your eyes 21:50  |  TAZ 21/05/07
  31.   Of course Israel does 21:53  |  Matt 21/05/07
  32.   The British have no sympathy for Jews 22:04  |  Mark 21/05/07
  33.   The UK has no right to defend itself. 22:07  |  Mark 21/05/07
  34.   #4 golara hamzeh - With a name like that 22:16  |  Yonatan 21/05/07
  35.   # 24 Mary @ Boston 22:16  |  Joseph E . 21/05/07
  36.   SLIPPERY TONGUED AMERICANS and BRITISH 22:22  |  M 21/05/07
  37.   Thank you UK! 22:27  |  Jonny 21/05/07
  38.   #24 22:39  |  roughrider 21/05/07
  39.   bombing 22:46  |  roughrider 21/05/07
  40.   Dear Sam 22:53  |  Ambassodor`s Answer 21/05/07
  41.   Bunch of anti-semitic hypocrytes 23:01  |  ScotGuy 21/05/07
  42.   Hamas and its Cohort`s 23:02  |  Rodney Stack 21/05/07
  43.   #26, Natalie Durston 23:23  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 21/05/07
  44.   Be careful Isra 23:33  |  Ali bin Abu ibn Abd 21/05/07
  45.   There are not enough polls on the world against pals headache 23:34  |  Joseph E . 21/05/07
  46.   Bush and Blair really hate you 23:51  |  whoopsie 21/05/07
  47.   time for all these anti-semites to be go to gaza to be true to th 00:11  |  ralph 22/05/07
  48.   Do refugees have rights as well 00:18  |  Billy Jack 22/05/07
  49.   Patronisng 00:20  |  ron 22/05/07
  50.   RE scot guy 00:37  |  Billy Jack 22/05/07
  51.   peace diplomacy 00:44  |  Shalom 22/05/07
  52.   Bush and his poodle, of course 00:55  |  Simba 22/05/07
  53.   Billy Jack 00:56  |  David Israel 22/05/07
  54.   US and the UK 01:07  |  Ron 22/05/07
  55.   why play the numbers game 01:19  |  Josh 22/05/07
  56.   Billy Jack 02:01  |  ScotGuy 22/05/07
  57.   to bill jack !! you are a revisionnist of the history 02:03  |  dovdevan 22/05/07
  58.   U.S. and UK back Israel 02:15  |  R.W. Shapera 22/05/07
  59.   Open doors 02:21  |  JJ 22/05/07
  60.   RE david 02:41  |  Billy Jack 22/05/07
  61.   Billy Jack #48 02:45  |  JJ 22/05/07
  62.   Israel`s right of defense 03:08  |  Barry 22/05/07
  63.   Billy jack 03:12  |  David Israel 22/05/07
  64.   Of course Israel has the right of self-defense 03:20  |  Mark Lincoln 22/05/07
  65.   Israel`s Right (Wrong) 03:23  |  J Olson 22/05/07
  66.   Right To Palestinian Self Defense 03:35  |  Ibn Filastin 22/05/07
  67.   A simple statement of truth 03:57  |  Johnboy 22/05/07
  68.   billy jack...were there palestinians 03:58  |  maria 22/05/07
  69.   Eerie illusion 04:33  |  Colin Wright 22/05/07
  70.   U.S. / U.K. Support 04:45  |  Shlomo 22/05/07
  71.   comment 05:01  |  dann johnson 22/05/07
  72.   johnboy from sydney 05:18  |  David Israel 22/05/07
  73.   The occupation and oppression continues in Gaza 05:35  |  maoriboy 22/05/07
  74.   to marlene n 15 08:45  |  aline 22/05/07
  75.   and HOW should Israel defend itself according to US and UK? 12:29  |  Suzanne 22/05/07
  76.   Where is the TRUTH?? 12:35  |  James 22/05/07
  77.   Maoriboy 17:17  |  Inigo Montoya 22/05/07
  78.   #76 James 17:25  |  T A Sheppard 22/05/07
  79.   #77 Inigo Montoya 00:11  |  maoriboy 23/05/07
  80.   DOES THAT MEAN WE CAN BOMB IRAN NOW??? blink blink 11:56  |  Squadron Leader 21/08/07
  81.   hi 22:56  |  jake 25/09/07
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