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Strongly defending US' ally Israel, President Barack Obama has said no country would tolerate launching of rockets and terror attacks on its cities, as he called for the extension of a ceasefire in Gaza.
"I have no sympathy for Hamas. I have great sympathy for ordinary people who are struggling within Gaza," Obama told reporters at a news conference in response to questions on the current situation in Gaza.
A 72-hour ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came into effect on Tuesday and has brought relief to millions on both sides after one month of fighting killed nearly 1,900 Palestinians and 67 people in Israel, mostly soldiers.
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"I have said from the beginning that no country would tolerate rockets being launched into their cities. As a consequence, I have consistently supported Israel's right to defend itself, and that includes doing what it needs to do to prevent rockets from landing on population centers and, more recently, as we learned, preventing tunnels from being dug under their territory that can be used to launch terrorist attacks," Obama said.
"I also think it is important to remember that Hamas acts extraordinarily irresponsibly when it is deliberately siting rocket launchers in population centers, putting populations at risk because of that particular military strategy," he said.
Expressing his distress at what is happened to innocent civilians, including women and children, during the course of this process, Obama said he is glad that a temporary cease-fire has been achieved.
"The question is now how do we build on this temporary cessation of violence and move forward in a sustainable way," he said.
