US strongly condemns rocket fire from Gaza

          The United States said it is deeply concerned by the renewal of violence in southern Israel and called on both sides to make every effort to restore calm. State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said in a statement that the US condemns in the "strongest terms the rocket fire from Gaza by terrorists into southern Israel." She said the US calls on those responsible to take immediate action to stop what she termed "these cowardly acts." US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, meeting in New York with Israeli opposition leader Tzippi Livni, condemned the rocket fire from Gaza into Israel, adding that Israel has the right to defend itself. The European Union foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, said the EU is "following with concern" the recent escalation of violencen Gaza and southern Israel. She said it is essential to avoid further escalation and she urged all sides to reestablish calm. Turkey has sharply condemned the Israeli strikes in Gaza and urged the international community not to be indifferent and to‏ react to what it called Israel's "disproportionate and indiscriminate retaliatory attacks."