Obama calls Israeli, Egyptian leaders over Gaza violence

WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama on Wednesday spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi about the escalating violence in Gaza between Israel and the Palestinians, the White House said.

"The President reiterated to Prime Minister Netanyahu the United States' support for Israel's right to self-defense in light of the barrage of rocket attacks being launched from Gaza against Israeli civilians," the White House spokesman's office said in a statement.

Obama urged Netanyahu to make every effort to avoid civilian casualties, as the two leaders agreed that "Hamas needs to stop its attacks on Israel to allow the situation to de-escalate," the statement said.

The two leaders also agreed to stay in close touch in the coming days over the situation in Gaza, it said, adding that US Vice-President Joe Biden received a briefing from Netanyahu on the events in Gaza.

During his phone conversation with Morsi, Obama condemned the rocket fire from Gaza into Israel and reiterated Israel's right to self-defense. "The two leaders agreed on the importance of working to de-escalate the situation as quickly as possible and agreed to stay in close touch in the days ahead," the statement said.

Israel's air force, after killing Hamas' military leader in an air raid, on Wednesday continued striking Hamas targets, including its long-range rocket sites, in the Gaza Strip, while a large number of Israeli troops have amassed along the border for a possible ground invasion.

In a dramatic escalation of the conflict along the Israel-Gaza border, Israeli aircraft struck a vehicle Wednesday in the Gaza Strip, killing four people, including Hamas' military leader Ahmed al-Jaabari and his son. Four more were reportedly killed in other Israeli air raids in the coastal enclave ruled by Hamas the same day.

The latest round of tit-for-tat violence between Israeli and the Hamas erupted Saturday when Hamas militants fired an anti-tank missile at an Israeli army jeep carrying out a routine patrol along the security barrier with central Gaza, wounding four Israeli soldiers. The attack was waged in retaliation for the death of a Palestinian child from Israeli gunfire last week.

Israeli forces then launched air strikes on rocket launch sites and weapons storage facilities run by Hamas militants, which fired hundreds of rockets into southern Israel. The Israeli military announced earlier Wednesday the commencement of "Operation Pillar of Defense", which aims to target Hamas' top leadership, as well as the organization's infrastructure in Gaza.