Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' sacking of several security officials in the Gaza Strip following the shelling of an Israeli settlement shows his commitment to ending violence, the United States said Thursday. State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said Abbas' step was "decisive" and a "sign of his commitment" to halt attacks against Israelis. The shelling of the Gush Katif settlement in the southern Gaza Strip was of "deep concern" to the United States and only undermined the aspiration of the Palestinian people to statehood, Ereli said. "I would not conclude on the basis of this attack that there's any lack of will or lack of determination on President Abbas's part," Ereli said. No one was wounded in the militant attack, but it threatened to undo a fragile truce between the Palestinian and Israeli government agreed on earlier this week. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon quickly postponed a meeting between his top advisor, Dov Weisglass, and the Palestinian who heads negotiations, Saeb Erekat.
