U.S. President George W. Bush has said that a lasting cease-fire in the Gaza Strip requires Palestinian militants to first stop rocket firing and arms smuggling, the White House said on Saturday.
"President Bush emphasized the importance of bringing an end to rocket-fire against Israel and preventing arms smuggling into Gazaas the basis for a durable cease-fire," said White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe in a statement.
President Bush on Saturday called his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul and welcomed "Turkey's support for the Egyptian-French mediation efforts" aimed at stopping the violence between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, said the spokesman.
The president also discussed, in a phone conversation, the Gaza situation with Czech Republic Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, said Johndroe.
The two leaders agreed on "the importance of bringing an end to the rocket fire against Israel, implementing a plan to prevent smuggling into Gaza, and ensuring humanitarian assistance reaches the Palestinian people," Johndroe said.
In retaliation to increased Hamas rocket attacks, Israel launched massive military strikes against Hamas on Dec. 27. The two-week-long strikes have killed over 800 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian medics.
Both Israel and Hamas have ignored a UN Security Council resolution that called for an immediate ceasefire. The Israeli government says the military strikes would be stepped up until Hamas is unable to fire rockets, while Hamas continues to fire rockets and mortars into southern Israel.
The United States has voiced its support for the Egyptian-French initiative, which calls for an immediate cease-fire to allow more aid into the Gaza Strip. Israel said it welcomes the initiative, but added that it will only accept a cease-fire that stops rockets firing into Israel and prevents the rearming of Palestinian militants.
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