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Pro-Israel rally draws 1,000 to Farragut Square

Americans respond to the rising tensions in the Middle East.

By Rachel Menitoff and Carolyn Freundlich, Medill News Service

WASHINGTON, July 17 (UPI) -- As the latest fighting continued to escalate between Israel and Gaza, a thousand exuberant supporters of Israel rallied near the White House.

"We want to be able to live in peace," said Noa Meir, Director of Israel Action Center, "just like we want the Palestinian citizens to be able to live in peace."

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Recently Israel accepted the terms of a ceasefire proposed by Egypt, but the agreement was rejected by the Palestinian side. A 5-hour ceasefire was broken Wednesday when Gaza militants militants fired rockets into southern Israel. Israel fired back on a Gaza shoreline and four Palestinian children were killed.

"While we appreciate that there should be peace on both sides, I think that the number of deaths in Palestine tell no lies," said Tyra Walker, a 23-year-old teacher in East Harlem, New York.

The fighting between Hamas and Israel is its 10th day. As of this afternoon, the Israeli military says it launched ground operations in the Gaza Strip.

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