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Bush Slams Hamas for Gaza Assault

President says Hamas is responsible for civilian casualties from Israeli offensive

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Jan 3, 2009 5:25 AM CST

(Newser) – George W. Bush has placed the blame for the recent violence in Gaza firmly on Hamas in his first public statement on the crisis, CNN reports. Bush said the Israeli offensive has been provoked by terrorist rocket strikes, and blamed the hundreds of civilian Palestinian deaths from the offensive on the militant group’s strategy of hiding within the general population.

By spending its money on rockets instead of infrastructure, "Hamas has demonstrated that it has no intention of serving the Palestinian people," Bush said. He said he would not support "another one-way ceasefire" and called for stricter monitoring to stop weapons entering Gaza. He said he is in contact with regional leaders and that Condoleezza Rice is working for a “durable and sustainable” peace agreement in the region.

[Images (5)]

[Videos (1)]

[Quotes (2)]

President George W. Bush, with first lady Laura Bush, waves as they return to the White House from Texas, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2009, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Palestinians sit beside a fire in the rubble of a destroyed house that was hit in an Israeli missile strike in the Rafah refugee camp on the southern Gaza Strip, Friday, Jan. 2, 2009. (AP Photo/Khaled Omar)

A Palestinian man carries a blanket from a destroyed house that was hit in an Israeli missile strike in the Rafah refugee camp on the southern Gaza Strip, Friday, Jan. 2, 2009. (AP Photo/Khaled Omar)

A Palestinian uses a sling-shot to hurl stones at Israeli border police during clashes at the Kalandia checkpoint between the West Bank city of Ramallah and Jerusalem, Friday, Jan. 2, 2009. (AP Photo/Maya Hitij)

A Lebanese masked protester holds a black mock coffin during a demonstration by leftist groups protesting Israel's attacks against the Gaza Strip, in Beirut, Lebanon, Friday Jan. 2, 2009. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

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CNN reports on the Bush administration's push for a long-term solution to the Mideast conflict. (CNN Video)

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Since Hamas's violent takeover in the summer of 2007, living conditions have worsened for Palestinians in Gaza. - George W. Bush

This recent outburst of violence was instigated by Hamas, a Palestinian terrorist group supported by Iran and Syria that calls for Israel's destruction. - George W. Bush

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Bush Slams Hamas for Gaza Assault