Bush calls Abbas, Fayyad to talk about Gaza strife

CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - President George W. Bush on Tuesday spoke with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad to discuss how to end the violence in the Gaza Strip, the White House said.

They "discussed their efforts for a sustainable ceasefire. They agreed for any ceasefire to be effective, it must be respected particularly by Hamas," White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said in Texas where Bush was on holiday.

Bush also reiterated his concern for the citizens of Gaza, which is controlled by the militant group Hamas, and a desire for the United States to provide humanitarian aid, Johndroe said. The president also spoke with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

(Reporting by Tabassum Zakaria, writing by Jeremy Pelofsky, Editing by Sandra Maler)