Tutu condemns killing of Israeli students

Tutu, has described as a dastardly act the killing of eight Israeli teenagers

Archbishop Emeritus, Desmond Tutu, has described as a "dastardly act" the killing of eight Israeli teenagers in an attack on a Jewish seminary in Jerusalem on Thursday. He has also condemned the targeting of civilians in the Sderot and Ashkelon regions as well as in Gaza.

Tutu says peace will not come from the barrel of a gun, as the South African example shows. He says peace will only be possible when the cycle of reprisals and counter reprisals comes to an end and when the inalienable rights of all, Israeli and Palestinian, are recognised and respected.

Meanwhile, the White House yesterday urged Israel and the Palestinians to stick with US-backed peace efforts despite a shooting attack in Jerusalem that killed eight students at a Jewish religious school.

Persistent violence
Thursday's attack by a Palestinian gunman dealt another blow to US President George W. Bush's bid for a peace deal before he leaves office in January 2009, a goal already beset by deep scepticism and persistent violence.

Condemning the deadliest attack in Israel in two years, Bush said earlier that the United States stood firmly with the Jewish state, Washington's close ally.

Israel said peace talks would continue with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who denounced Thursday's attack. Additional reporting by Reuters