ATLANTA (AP) Former President Jimmy Carter says all combat operations must stop, and Israeli troops should withdraw from the Gaza Strip. <br />
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In a statement issued Tuesday through the Carter Center in Atlanta, the former president also said that both sides in the conflict must distinguish between combatants and noncombatants. <br />
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Carter said Israel must ensure that its use of force is "proportionate in accordance with international humanitarian law."<br />
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The statement said Gaza is on the brink of a humanitarian crisis. <br />
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Fighting in the past two weeks has killed more than 570 Palestinians and two dozen Israelis. <br />
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President Obama said Monday that the international community must focus on bringing about a cease-fire that ends the killing of civilians on both sides of the conflict.
