Obama Weighs In On Israel/Hamas Conflict

(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

This afternoon President Obama called for both sides in the conflict between Israel and Hamas to do its part to ensure an end to violence.

Hamas must stop firing rockets into Israel while Israel must complete its withdrawal from Gaza, Mr. Obama said.

The president said he is "deeply concerned" about casualties on both sides and said he backed a "credible" system to end smuggling into Gaza, as the Associated Press notes. He called for Gaza's borders to be opened so that aid could get through, adding that there should be "appropriate monitoring" of the border.

Mr. Obama made the comments at a State Department appearance where he and Secretary Of State Hillary Clinton announced that former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell will serve as special envoy to the Middle East.

Brian Montopoli

Brian Montopoli is the national reporter and political analyst for CBSNews.com.

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