Obama warns against escalation
Source: Agencies |
November 19, 2012, Monday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
US President Barack Obama said yesterday an incursion by Israeli forces into the Gaza Strip could only deepen its death toll, cautioning against an escalation even as he defended the Jewish state's right to defend itself.
"Israel has every right to expect that it does not have missiles fired into its territory," Obama said in Bangkok yesterday at the start of a three-nation tour in Asia.
"If that can be accomplished without a ramping up of military activity in Gaza, that's preferable," he said. "It's not just preferable for the people of Gaza.
It's also preferable for Israelis, because if Israeli troops are in Gaza, they're much more at risk of incurring fatalities or being wounded."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday that Israel was prepared to significantly expand its military operation in Gaza. Obama has been lobbying Netanyahu along with the leaders of Egypt and Turkey to try to halt the crisis - including stopping rocket strikes on Israel.
He said Israel was justly responding to "an ever-escalating number of missiles that were landing not just in Israeli territory, but in areas that are populated. And there's no country on earth that would tolerate missiles raining down on its citizens from outside its borders."
Obama said Palestinians will have no chance to pursue their own state and a lasting peace with Israel as long as rockets are fired into Israel.
The US president said he hoped for a clearer process over the next 48 hours.
"Israel has every right to expect that it does not have missiles fired into its territory," Obama said in Bangkok yesterday at the start of a three-nation tour in Asia.
"If that can be accomplished without a ramping up of military activity in Gaza, that's preferable," he said. "It's not just preferable for the people of Gaza.
It's also preferable for Israelis, because if Israeli troops are in Gaza, they're much more at risk of incurring fatalities or being wounded."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday that Israel was prepared to significantly expand its military operation in Gaza. Obama has been lobbying Netanyahu along with the leaders of Egypt and Turkey to try to halt the crisis - including stopping rocket strikes on Israel.
He said Israel was justly responding to "an ever-escalating number of missiles that were landing not just in Israeli territory, but in areas that are populated. And there's no country on earth that would tolerate missiles raining down on its citizens from outside its borders."
Obama said Palestinians will have no chance to pursue their own state and a lasting peace with Israel as long as rockets are fired into Israel.
The US president said he hoped for a clearer process over the next 48 hours.
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