WASHINGTON, JAN 13 (KUNA) — The State Department rejected the assertion of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that he called President George W. Bush to make Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice abstain from voting on Security Council Resolution in Gaza.
Olmert spoke about his conversation with Bush in a speech “I said: ‘Get me President Bush on the phone … they said he was in the middle of giving a speech in Philadelphia. I said I didn’t care: ‘I need to talk to him now.’ He got off the podium and spoke to me”.
McCormack described Olmert comments as “wholly inaccurate … just 100-percent, totally, completely not true”.
Israeli offensive has been undergoing since December 27, causing the death of at least 925 Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip. A cease fire brokered by the United Nations Security Council last week is still not effective.
The State Department also welcomed the Czech initiative to host a donors conference to address the urgent humanitarian needs of Gaza inhabitants.
“We remain committed to improving the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Until a durable cease-fire is reached, the United States calls on all concerned parties to protect innocent lives, to minimize civilian casualties, and to address the urgent humanitarian needs of the inhabitants of Gaza”, said State Department spokesperson Gordon Duguid.