U.S.: Hamas must halt rocket fire at Israel, agree to lasting truce

The White House on Monday said Hamas must stop firing rockets into Israel and agree to a lasting ceasefire after Israeli air strikes on Gaza killed more than 300 Palestinians over the course of three days.

The United States has not called for Israel to stop the attacks on Hamas-controlled Gaza and has placed the onus for ending the violence on the Palestinian faction, which Washington considers a terrorist organization.

"In order for the violence to stop, Hamas must stop firing rockets into Israel and agree to respect a sustainable and durable cease-fire," White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.

"That is the objective to which all parties need to be working. That is what the United States is working towards. Israel made clear it has no intentions to reoccupy Gaza," he said in a statement.

At the same time, he said the United States has asked Israel to avoid civilian casualties in Gaza.

U.S. President George W. Bush, who was on vacation at his Texas ranch, has not made any comment on the violence since the Israeli aerial assault began on Saturday.

Israel has attacked the Gaza Strip in pursuit of Hamas targets in the deadliest violence in the territory in decades. By Monday evening, the death toll had reportedly reached over 320.

"Israel is going after terrorists who are firing rockets and mortars into Israel, and they are taking the steps that they feel are necessary to deal with the terrorist threat," Johndroe said.

Bush spoke to Saudi King Abdullah and told him that the United States wants to see an end to the violence in Gaza but in a durable way, Johndroe said.

U.S. Congresswoman Lois Capps also released a statement Monday, saying that "obviously, Israel has the absolute right to defend itself from Hamas terrorists and other threats to its security. The ongoing rocket attacks on Israel are unacceptable and must be stopped. However, I fear the current military operation in Gaza represents a vastly disproportionate response that will further destabilize the region."

"Simple humanity demands that we grieve for the dead Palestinian child as much as we mourn the dead Israeli child. The numbers of dead and injured in Gaza, and the televised images of the humanitarian crisis now unfolding are truly shocking. And while this renewed state of war is clearly a tragedy for the Palestinian people, it will also bring a renewed state of fear in Israel because the threat of another wave of suicide bombing in Israeli cities is all too real."

"As a Member of Congress strongly dedicated to Israel's security, I believe an immediate ceasefire is necessary. And since this eruption of violence in Gaza is so clearly detrimental to U.S. national interests, I call upon both President Bush and President-elect Obama to use their influence to push both sides to stop shooting and renew the ceasefire."‬

Meanwhile, supportive reactions in the U.S. outnumber condemnations, but a source in the Israeli embassy in Washington said the diplomats "are not taking it for granted."