2) "Israel did what it had to do to respond to the rockets."

3) On civilian casualties in Gaza: "That doesn't mean, just as the United States [tries to] be as careful as possible in going after targets to avoid civilians, that there aren't mistakes that are made. We've made them. I don't know a nation, no matter what its values are ? and I think that democratic nations have demonstrably better values in a conflict position ? that hasn't made errors, but ultimately the responsibility rests with Hamas."

4) Asked about the bombing of UN schools and killing of Palestinian children: "It's impossible to know what happens in the fog of war. Some reports say, maybe it wasn't the exact UN school that was bombed, but it was the annex to the school next door where they were firing the rockets. And I do think oftentimes that the anguish you are privy to because of the coverage, and the women and the children and all the rest of that, makes it very difficult to sort through to get to the truth."