WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama is urging Israelis and Palestinians to restrain themselves and put an end to acts of retribution in the recent round of violence.
In an op-ed piece in an Israeli newspaper, Obama calls it a "dangerous moment." He's lamenting both the murder of three Israeli teenagers and the killing of a Palestinian boy in what many suspect was an act of revenge.
Obama is praising Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (mahk-MOOD' ah-BAHS') as committed to peace and security cooperation.
Obama's op-ed comes as Israel launched an offensive against the Gaza Strip to quell rocket attacks threatening southern Israel. Obama says the U.S. is still committed to peace despite the recent collapse of U.S.-backed talks.