WASHINGTON (AP):

President George W. Bush, in his first public reaction to Israel's ground invasion of Gaza, said Monday that the Jewish state was justified in protecting itself against Hamas militants.

"I understand Israel's desire to protect itself," Bush said at the White House. "The situation now taking place in Gaza was caused by Hamas."

Israel on the weekend began moving tanks and troops into the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip after a week of punishing aerial bombing of Hamas targets, which has caused civilian casualties and drawn widespread condemnation in the Muslim and Arab world. By moving ground forces into Gaza, Israel has raised the risk of escalating the latest Mideast conflict into urban warfare, which would surely increase the casualties and consequences for the region.

Killing innocent israelis

Bush, however, laid the blame squarely on Hamas, which the United States labels a terrorist organisation.

"Instead of caring about the people of Gaza, Hamas decided to use Gaza to launch rockets to kill innocent Israelis," Bush said. "Israel's obviously decided to protect herself and her people."

At the State Department, spokesman Sean McCormack said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was pressing three elements of a potential ceasefire, including a halt to Hamas' rocket firing into Israel.

The ceasefire proposal also would include an arrangement for reopening crossing points on the border with Israel, McCormack said. The third element would address the tunnels into Gaza from Egypt, through which Hamas has smuggled materials and arms.

Rice held telephone conversations over the weekend with 17 foreign leaders - in Europe as well as the Middle East - in pursuit of such a ceasefire agreement, McCormack said, adding that much detailed work remains to be done.

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