By Ryan Jones
Jul 10, 2006
Washington Sunday laid blame for the current deterioration of the security situation in the Gaza Strip squarely on the shoulders of Hamas, and continued its refusal to acknowledge international efforts to condemn Israel's use of military force there.
Said US Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns in an interview with CNN:
"Let's remember who started this. It was the outrageous actions of Hamas in violating Israel's sovereignty, in taking the soldier hostage."
Hamas and allied terror groups abducted Corporal Gilad Shalit more than two weeks ago during an assault on an IDF post on the Israeli side of the Gaza security fence. Two other soldiers were killed in the attack.
Israel's Cabinet vowed Sunday that IDF operations against terrorist forces in Gaza would continue until Shalit is returned and Kassam rocket fire on Jewish towns in the Negev region ceases.
Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa, meanwhile, backed Hamas' demand that Israel release as many as one thousand jailed "Palestinian" terrorists in return for Shalit, according to the Associated Press.