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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Obama talks Mideast violence with Morsi, Netanyahu

Associated Press

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — President Barack Obama called Egyptian President Mohammad Morsi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday to discuss the ongoing violence in the Middle East.

The White House says Obama and Morsi discussed ways to de-escalate the situation in Gaza. And Obama underscored the need for Hamas to stop firing rockets into Israel.

In a statement, the White House said Obama also expressed regret for the deaths of Israeli and Palestinian civilians in his calls with both leaders.

The six-day offensive has resulted in at least 100 Palestinian deaths and three deaths on the Israeli side.

Obama called Morsi and Netanyahu from Cambodia, where he is attending summit meetings with leaders from the Asia-Pacific region.