By David Martosko, U.s. Political Editor and Associated Press President Barack Obama inserted himself into the Arab-Israeli conflict on Friday, issuing a statement  that encouraged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to minimize civilian deaths in its ground push into Hamas-ruled Gaza. At he same time, he assured him that the U.S. supports Israel's right to self-defense. 'No nation should accept rockets being fired into its borders or terrorists tunneling into its territory,' Obama told reporters in the White House press briefing room. Half a world away, Israeli troops advanced into Hamas-ruled Gaza while Hamas militants scurried through terror tunnels .
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U.S. President asked Israeli's prime minister to use a light touch when taking his Gaza incursion into civilian areas
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Israel has withstood a steady barrage of Palestinian rockets
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Netanyahu responded with a ground incursion designed to weaken the leaders of Hamas, which the U.S. considers a terrorist organization
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The chair of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee said Hamas deliberately targets Israeli civilians and Israel tries to minimize non-combatant casualties
Israel's ground incursion followed a 10-day campaign of more than 2,000 airstrikes that had failed to halt relentless but largely ineffective @placeholder rocket fire on Israeli cities.
Israel's ground incursion followed a 10-day campaign of more than 2,000 airstrikes that had failed to halt relentless but largely ineffective Hamas rocket fire on @placeholder cities.