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U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. (Reuters) Last update - 22:31 03/03/2008 White House blames Hamas for sparking violence in south Israel By News Agencies Tags: Israel, U.S., Gaza, Hamas The White House on Monday blamed the Palestinian militant group Hamas for sparking recent fighting between Israel and the Palestinians that has killed dozens and posed an obstacle to peace talks. "The number one thing that has to happen is that Hamas has got to stop targeting Israeli citizens with rockets. It must stop," Gordon Johndroe, a spokesman for President George W. Bush's National Security Council, told reporters traveling with the president back to Washington. Johndroe added: "The Palestinians have a choice to make... It's a choice between terrorism or a choice between a political solution that leads to a Palestinian state living side-by-side in peace and security with Israel." Advertisement The days of fighting has killed dozens and led Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to call off peace talks, just as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice headed to the region for a week-long trip aimed at boosting the efforts for an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement. With U.S. credibility at stake, Rice faces an uphill battle to revive peace talks suspended over the weekend by Abbas. Washington wants those talks to result in a peace treaty by the end of the year but that hope seems increasingly unrealistic. U.S. officials said Rice would press Abbas and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to get back to talks despite the violence in Gaza, which Hamas seized from Abbas' Fatah movement in June, but conceded the timing of her long-arranged trip made it difficult. "The most important thing is to keep moving the talks along," said a U.S. official who asked not to be identified. The IDF operation has drawn a chorus of international condemnation, with the EU, Turkey and UN chief Ban Ki-Moon accusing Israel of using excessive force. But Johndroe said it is Hamas that is to blame, by inciting the developments when it fired rockets into Israeli cities. Johndroe would not say whether the United States thought Israel was using excessive force. "We obviously don't want innocent civilians to lose their life," he said. "But I think that started with these rockets that have been fired from Gaza into Israel recently killing and injuring Israeli citizens in some of their bigger cities." He said Rice would talk to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas about his decision to suspend talks because of the violence. The official stated that despite the fighting the U.S. would continue to pursue its objective of a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians by the end of the year. "We are going to keep after it... Keep on pursing it," he said. Related articles: Abbas offers to mediate Israel-Hamas cease-fire Palestinian killed in IAF strike on rocket squad in northern Gaza Rights Group: More than 50% of Gaza casualties weren't militants Bookmark to del.icio.us   UN hushes Human Rights Council observes moment of silence for Gaza 'martyrs.' Hitler's sign Document shows that British spies hired a flamboyant astrologer in World War II.   1.   What This Rice Woman Must Understand 21:59  |  Yaakov Sullivan 03/03/08   2.   What the peace process needs... 22:15  |  Baz Mann 03/03/08   3.   Well, why did you then stop your (Israeli) "buddys"....???? 22:33  |  Swiss (Dino) 03/03/08   4.   high time they said so. thank you. 22:55  |  frenz 03/03/08   5.   the U.S.`s credibility isn`t at stake.truth is,you can`t argue 22:59  |  terrornator 03/03/08   6.   swiss,exactly what would you have done,would you have finished 23:03  |  terrornator 03/03/08   7.   US credability 23:14  |  Avrum 03/03/08   8.   "Should you choose terror,we,the US shall protect you against Isr 23:14  |  Absolute Sweden 03/03/08   9.   How surprising! 23:36  |  Paulo 03/03/08   10.   #1 Swiss-Dino 23:47  |  Moshe 03/03/08   11.   Israel stabbed in the back 23:52  |  bingbong 03/03/08   12.   Why is the US blaming HAMAS 00:10  |  Chris Linthwaite 04/03/08   13.   Dino - You`re right they should have.... 00:31  |  Jordan 04/03/08   14.   # 2 Moshe 00:40  |  yuval 04/03/08   15.   It Is Not US Credibility That Is At Stake 00:53  |  Joseph . E 04/03/08   16.   Face Reality 00:54  |  Fred Goepfert 04/03/08   17.   Great Question, Swiss (Dino) 00:59  |  Polybios 04/03/08   18.   # 2 Moshe They sold the insurance thinking 01:10  |  Lynn 04/03/08   19.   Rice,decided quite early on that she would lie through her teeth 01:25  |  lakshmi 04/03/08   20.   # 2 Moshe 01:28  |  Swiss (Dino) 04/03/08   21.   How true--the choice for palestinians is between peace or chaos 01:46  |  Voice of Reason 04/03/08   22.   zionists in support of zionists 02:05  |  hollingsworth 04/03/08   23.   What really happened 02:10  |  Rabbi Yakov Lazaros 04/03/08   24.   # 4 Polybios 02:11  |  Swiss (Dino) 04/03/08   25.   Will Israel agree to Peace 02:39  |  Rasmuncher 04/03/08   26.   KILLING AMERICANS 03:03  |  ifinsaymyname 04/03/08   27.   Dhimmitude Peace` Enemy 03:03  |  Joseph . E 04/03/08   28.   Rice forced Olmert to "pull out " of Gaza 03:29  |  Avrum 04/03/08   29.   Swiss Dino 03:31  |  Polybios 04/03/08   30.   What`s her angle, anyway? 03:36  |  Yechiel 04/03/08   31.   US-Instagating trouble & blaming the victims for reacting 03:46  |  Dutch 04/03/08   32.   Rasmuncher #9 03:54  |  Polybios 04/03/08   33.   Utter Nonsense 03:56  |  Mark 04/03/08   34.   Ignorant #10 03:59  |  Polybios 04/03/08   35.   shocking that they would blame hamas 04:52  |  Mark 04/03/08   36.   Uncle Sam and aunt Condi, who gives a f... 04:53  |  Frank 04/03/08   37.   build them reserves 05:32  |  billy jack 04/03/08   38.   Israel wants the Land and the Arabs out. End of Story! 06:12  |  Alex 04/03/08   39.   The Out House 06:15  |  Pissed Off 04/03/08   40.   #2... in response 06:19  |  weasel 04/03/08   41.   #2... in response 06:19  |  weasel 04/03/08   42.   #6: dino... stop kissing ass!!!! 06:20  |  disgruntled 04/03/08   43.   When Rice visits Egypt she should HAMMER 06:21  |  Gary Pineda 04/03/08   44.   wait a minute: rice FORCED olmert? 06:24  |  gringo 04/03/08   45.   ***To Gary Pineda 06:27  |  ROBOCOP 04/03/08   46.   #17 Dutch - Apparently the US govt disagrees with you 06:50  |  Squalid Ibn Harman 04/03/08   47.   All the jerks born in the USA! 07:16  |  Niva dos santos 04/03/08   48.   I just love that headline: White House blames Hamas 08:02  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 04/03/08   49.   Democracy in the Arab countries. 08:32  |  Jean Van Daem 04/03/08   50.   Condi Rice is drenched in blood 08:51  |  Mark 04/03/08   51.   #6 Swiss Dino 09:14  |  Freddy 04/03/08   52.   You get nothing from pigs but grunts 09:40  |  Clickfool 04/03/08   53.   IDF Withdrew beacuse they were beaten 09:42  |  JJ 04/03/08   54.   Assmuncher #11 09:46  |  Steve 04/03/08   55.   # 20 Freddy 11:31  |  Swiss (Dino) 04/03/08   56.   NO JUSTICE - NO PEACE 12:00  |  SHADI 04/03/08   57.   Margie #44 12:06  |  Guido 04/03/08   58.   finally 17:29  |  Tziril Esther 04/03/08   59.   #52 of pigs and Clickfool 21:35  |  You must be joking 04/03/08   60.   to #53 IDF withdrew beacuse they were beaten 08:42  |  yehuda 05/03/08

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