The United States on Monday urged Hamas to stop firing rockets into Israel and to respect "a sustainable and durable ceasefire."

"In order for the violence to stop, Hamas must stop firing rockets into Israel and agree to respect a sustainable and durable ceasefire," U.S. National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said in a statement.

"That is the objective to which all parties need to be working. That is what the United States is working towards," the spokesman added.

The Bush administration condemned Hamas for the repeated rocket and mortar attacks against Israel, saying that the Islamic resistant group should be held responsible for breaking the ceasefire and for the renewal of violence in Gaza.

In its reprisal strikes, Israeli warplanes have bombed Hamas targets in Gaza for three days, killing some 300 Palestinians and wounding more than 900 in the Gaza Strip.

The latest violence broke out after a six-month ceasefire between Israel and Gaza militants which ended on Dec. 19, as Hamas refused to renew it.

(Xinhua News Agency December 30, 2008)