Germany blames Hamas for Gaza violence

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany blamed Hamas on Monday for causing the outbreak of violence in the Gaza Strip and urged the Islamist movement to stop firing rockets so that Israel's assault on the territory could end.

German government spokesman Thomas Steg, speaking at a regular news conference, said that Hamas must immediately and permanently stop firing rockets (into Israel) so that the Israeli military operations can quickly end.

Germany's support for Israel, which has in the last three days launched air strikes that have killed more than 300 Palestinians in the deadliest violence in Gaza for decades, looks stronger than that some other European countries.

The comments from the German government, which rarely criticizes Israel due to the legacy of the Holocaust, also chimed with the U.S. stance.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had agreed in a telephone conversation that responsibility for the escalation lay "clearly and exclusively with Hamas," said Steg.

"Hamas has unilaterally broken the ceasefire agreement," said the spokesman, adding it was Israel's legitimate right to protect its own people.

Steg also said, however, that Merkel told Olmert everything must be done to avoid civilian victims and that aid must be let into Gaza. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency said at least 57 of the dead were civilians.

(Writing by Madeline Chambers; Editing by Sami Aboudi)