US presses Israel to use restraint in Gaza

WASHINGTON - The United States has privately urged Israel to be careful over its military action, worried that tough moves in Gaza will boost Palestinian support for Hamas and further escalate tensions.

A senior State Department official said today a firm message had been delivered to the Israelis, who overnight arrested Hamas Cabinet members and stepped up pressure to free an Israeli soldier abducted from the Gaza Strip.

Publicly the United States, Israel's staunchest ally, has said Israel has the right to defend itself and actively seek the release of the soldier, while urging restraint on all sides.

But there is a fear among some Bush administration officials that Israel might go too far.

"The Israeli measures might not only affect innocent civilians but could build support for Hamas," said the senior official in an interview with Reuters.

"We have told them to be careful because plainly when you have this kind of military force deployed close to civilian populations there is a very high risk of accidents and I think that can further worsen this crisis."

The United States is also worried about rising tensions following the arrest of dozens of Palestinian cabinet ministers and lawmakers and State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said this raised "particular concerns."

Asked about arrests of Hamas officials and whether President George W Bush endorsed that, White House spokesman Tony Snow replied: "We are going no further than what we've said, which is we are encouraging both sides to practice restraint."

US officials are also pushing Israel to provide answers on how far it is prepared to go to get the soldier back, but they have not yet been given a clear response.

US diplomats, in a bid to secure the release of the soldier and ease the crisis, are shuttling between the Israelis and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose Fatah Party lost to Hamas in January elections.

There has been no US contact with Hamas and Egypt is the go-between with the militant group, which the United States and others refuse to deal with until it renounces violence, recognizes Israel and accepts past agreements between the Palestinians and the Israelis.

"The Egyptians are playing the most important role of any of the outsiders and they are directly in touch with the Israelis and all the Palestinians," said the senior State Department official.

The United States supports Abbas but the US official said that he seemed powerless to secure the release of the soldier.

- REUTERS