WASHINGTON, June 9 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama, after meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the Oval Office, called Israel's Gaza blockade "unsustainable."
Obama said the deadly confrontation between Israeli forces and activists aboard an aid-bearing ship off the Gaza coast deserves to be condemned and requires "a full investigation."
"But what we also know is that the situation in Gaza is unsustainable," Obama said.
The U.S. president said he and Abbas "had very extensive discussions about how we could help to promote a better approach to Gaza."
"We agree that Israelis have the right to prevent arms from entering into Gaza that can be used to launch attacks into Israeli territory," Obama said. "But we also think that it is important for us to explore new mechanisms so that we can have goods and services, and economic development, and the ability of people to start their own businesses, and to grow the economy and provide opportunity within Gaza."
The U.S. president says much work remains to create a two-state solution that provides both for a secure Israel and an independent homeland for the Palestinian people.
"I did share with President Abbas, in order for us to be successful in these next several months, that both sides have to create an environment, a climate, that is going to be conducive to an actual breakthrough," Obama said. "And that means on the Israeli side, curbing settlement activity and recognizing some of the progress that has been made by the Palestinian Authority when it comes to issues like security. It means on the Palestinian side -- and I was very frank with President Abbas that we have to continue to make more progress on both security as well as incitement issues."
Abbas said he appreciates Obama's desire to see that "we push forward the political process as soon as possible."
"We know that time is of essence; we know that we must not miss this opportunity," Abbas said. "We affirm the importance of bringing about peace and security in the region.
"And we also see the need to lift the Israeli siege of the Palestinian people, the need to open all the crossings, and the need to let building material and humanitarian material and all the necessities go into the Palestinian people."
Abbas said his government has "nothing to do with incitement against Israel."
Obama said the United States has pledged another $400 million to support housing, school construction and business development in Gaza and the West Bank "because we think it's important for us to reaffirm once again our commitment to improving the day-to-day lives of ordinary Palestinians."
