WASHINGTON (AFP) — President George W. Bush was briefed on the situation in Gaza where Israel sent in troops Saturday, while the United States warned any ceasefire must prevent a return to the "status quo" with Hamas.
Hours after the Jewish state launched a ground incursion into the Hamas-run territory, following a deadly week-long air assault aimed at halting rocket attacks, the White House said Bush had been kept abreast of Israel's activities and US officials were in contact with Israeli, European and regional leaders.
As Gaza medics reported at least 460 people killed and thousands wounded, the State Department expressed its concern for potential civilian consequences but reiterated that any ceasefire would have to bar Hamas from more attacks.
"We are working toward a ceasefire that would not allow a reestablishment of the status quo ante, where Hamas can continue to launch rockets out of Gaza and to condemn the people of Gaza to a life of misery," said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack.
"It is obvious that that ceasefire should take place as soon as possible, but we need a ceasefire that is durable, sustainable, and not time limited," he said on the eighth day of the military offensive, Israel's largest since its 2006 war with Lebanon.
"The United States is deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation and the protection of innocents," McCormack said.
"In this vein, we have expressed our concerns to the Israeli government that any military action needs to be mindful of the potential consequences to civilians."
McCormack accused Hamas, which seized power of Gaza in 2007, of staging an "illegal coup against the forces of president Mahmud Abbas," and holding "the people of Gaza hostage."
"They have used Gaza as a launching pad for rockets against Israeli cities, and have contributed deeply to a very bad daily life for the Palestinian people in Gaza and to a humanitarian situation that we have all been trying to address," he said.
"Hamas has made it very difficult for the people of Gaza to have a reasonable life."
While European nations expressed alarm at Israel's actions and called for an urgent ceasefire, a White House spokesman Anthony Warren said Bush "was briefed this afternoon on the current situation in Gaza and the actions of the IDF" (Israeli Defense Forces).
"US officials have been in regular contact with the Israelis as well as officials from countries in the region and Europe," he said.
The White House has staunchly defended its ally's right to defend itself from militant attacks, and placed the blame squarely on the Islamists of Hamas.
Revealing a sharp difference in tone from the official line in Washington, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said the decision to send ground forces into Gaza after a week of air strikes was a "dangerous military escalation," while Britain called for an immediate ceasefire.
The European Union's new Czech presidency said Israel did not have the right to take military actions "which largely affect civilians," though its launching of land operations in the Gaza Strip was no surprise.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon also urged an immediate end to Israel's ground offensive in the Gaza Strip.
Ban "called for an immediate end to the ground operation, and asked that Israel do all possible to ensure the protection of civilians and that humanitarian assistance is able to reach those in need," his office said in a statement.
Ban spoke earlier in the day with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and "conveyed his extreme concern and disappointment," said the statement.
"He is convinced and alarmed that this escalation will inevitably increase the already heavy suffering of the affected civilian populations."
At UN headquarters in New York, the Security Council was to convene an emergency session to discuss the situation in Gaza at 0000 GMT.
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