George W. Bushon Tuesdayscolded Israel for launching a helicopter assault on a Hamas leader that killed three people, injured more than two dozen and undermined efforts to restart the Middle East peace process.
Mr Bush, who has invested his personal prestige to press Palestinians and Israelis to end 32 months of violence, was reported to be "deeply troubled" by the attack.
Six days after Mr Bush heralded "the first signs of peace" as he brought Israeli and Palestinian leaders together in Aqaba, the White House was warning of the need for both sides to "protect the road map" from violence.
The failed assassination attempt in the Gaza Strip was aimed at Abdel-Aziz Rantisi, number two in the political leadership of the radical Islamist group Hamas.
He was slightly wounded after leaping from his car before it was hit.
Ari Fleischer, White House press secretary, said: "The president is concerned that this strike will undermine efforts by Palestinian authorities to bring an end to terrorist attacks, and it does not contribute to the security of Israel."
Israelon Tuesdaydefended its action, saying the attempted killing was the only way to act against Hamas and its army of suicide bombers.
But the strike against one of the most senior political figures in Hamas dealt a blow to already troubled efforts to convince Palestinian militants to accept a ceasefire in their war with Israel.
It came a day after four Israeli soldiers were killed in the Gaza Strip. Hamas was one of three Palestinian organisations that claimed responsibility for the attack.
Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian prime minister, has been struggling to secure a negotiated halt to the violence to establish the calm demanded by the US-backed "road map", rather than resort to military action against the militants that might spark a civil war.
Mr Abbason Tuesdaycondemned the missile strike as a "terrorist attack" and accused Israel of seeking to sabotage the "road map".
Hamas broke off negotiations on a ceasefire in protest against the speech Mr Abbas delivered at last week's summit with Mr Bush. But the Palestinian prime minister said on Monday he hoped to renew negotiations on a truce.
Coming after a pointed silence from the White House over the past few days, Mr Bush's comments yesterday reflected his concern that the deteriorating security situation was destroying hopes for the US push for peace.
Gideon Meir, senior Israeli foreign ministry official, said Mr Rantisi was responsible for "an assembly line of ticking bombs".
If the Palestinian Authority had taken action against him, Israel would not have had to act, he said.
"Unfortunately, we missed."
"Israel should expect that this crime . . . will not pass without severe punishment," said Mahmoud al-Zahar, a Hamas leader.
Later , three people were killed in the northern Gaza Strip when Israeli tanks and helicopters launched strikes after missiles were fired across the border into Israel.
By James Harding in Washington and Harvey Morris in Gaza City
Copyright The Financial Times Ltd 2003. Privacy policy.
