Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Thursday, July 17, 2014
From the Liveblog of
Thursday, July 17, 2014
‘Israel has a right to defend itself’ — Obama
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleUS President Barack Obama reiterates that Israel has a right to defend itself: “As I’ve said repeatedly, Israel has a right to defend itself from rocket attacks that terrorize the Israeli people. There’s no country on earth that can be expected to live under a daily barrage of rockets. And I’m proud that the Iron Dome system that Americans helped Israel develop and fund has saved many Israeli lives.”
Speaking to reporters, Obama adds that he supports the Egyptian ceasefire plan.
Turning to civilian deaths in Gaza, Obama says that his heart breaks for those caught in the crossfire, including the four children killed on the beach Wednesday.
Obama does not blame Israel for the deaths.
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