The White House has said that Israel's siege of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's compound in the West Bank city of Ramallah was "not helpful" to ending Palestinian attacks.
"Israeli actions in and around the Moqata'a are not helpful in reducing terrorist violence or promoting Palestinian reforms," White House spokeswoman Jeanie Mamo said, referring to the complex that is Arafat's powerbase in Ramallah, 12 miles north of Jerusalem.
Ten buildings and mobile buildings were blown up or torn down by Israeli forces who stormed the compound on Thursday.
The White House spokeswoman also strongly condemned Palestinian suicide bombings and called on the Palestinians to stop such attacks while urging Israel to "continue considering the consequences of its actions."