http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=CFFCF1D8-1D0F-41A9-A758-DD5EBBA3229B Obama: Hamas must release captured Israeli soldier
By: Dan Berman
August 1, 2014 03:21 PM EDT
President Barack Obama on Friday called on Hamas to release an Israeli soldier captured during a recent ceasefire.
“If they are serious about resolving the situation, that soldier needs to be unconditionally released as soon as possible,” Obama said at a news conference.
Obama said it will be difficult to establish a new ceasefire in Gaza, but the U.S. will continue to try. “I think it’s going to be very hard to put a ceasefire back together again if Israel and the international community aren’t comfortable if Hamas can follow through,” Obama said.
The president also said Israel has the right to defend itself. “No country can tolerate missiles raining down on its cities… no county can or would tolerate tunnels being dug under their land…” to be used for terrorist attacks, Obama said.
