Washington: A spokeswoman for president-elect Barack Obama declined to comment today on Israel's ground offensive into Gaza, saying only the next US president was closely following events.
"The president-elect is closely monitoring global events, including the situation in Gaza," his national security spokeswoman Brooke Anderson said in a statement.
But she offered no comment on the violence in Gaza and, using a phrase repeated often by Obama and his aides, said: "There is one president at a time and we intend to respect that."
Obama is due to take office on January 20.
Israeli troops entered Gaza under cover of darkness today, escalating the war on Hamas after artillery pounded the Palestinian territory and warplanes staged dozens of air strikes.
