The United States on Thursday blamed Hamas for the explosion of violence in Gaza, one day after Israeli began its military operation against the strip killing 16 people and wounding over 100."

The United States on Thursday blamed Hamas for the explosion of violence in Gaza, one day after Israeli began its military operation against the strip killing 16 people and wounding over 100."

"We strongly condemn the barrage of rocket fire from Gaza into Israel, and we regret the death and injury of innocent Israeli and Palestinian civilians caused by the ensuing violence," White House spokesman Jay Carney said.

"There's no justification for the violence that Hamas and other terrorist organizations are employing against the people of Israel," he added, considering it "does nothing to help the Palestinians."

He called on Hamas leaders to  stop "these cowardly acts immediately to allow the situation to de-escalate."

Carney's statement, given to reporters aboard Air Force One as US President Barack Obama traveled to New York, followed a telephone conversation the night before between Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In parallel, Middle East peace envoy Tony Blair called on  Hamas Thursday to "stop firing rockets from Gaza into Israel," indicating that "as long as it continued the Jewish state would act to defend itself."

"If the rocket fire carries on out of Gaza, targeted at Israeli towns and villages, then the retaliation will increase," the former British prime minister told Sky News television in London.

"There are roughly a million people who take shelter every night (in Israel). There's no government where its citizens are under that pressure that isn't itself going to come under pressure to take action," Blair said.

"Likewise I understand the pressures on the Hamas leadership but the answer to those pressures I'm afraid is not to keep firing rockets. It's to find a different and better way forward," he further stated.