Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said Saturday that, eight months after Operation Protective Edge, the situation in the Gaza Strip remains "intolerable." Carter is currently visiting Israel and the West Bank. He was also supposed to visit Gaza, but earlier this week called that segment of his trip, citing unspecified security concerns. Speaking to reporters in Jerusalem, Carter said he was still determined to work for the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza. "What we have seen and heard only strengthens our determination to work for peace," Carter said. "The situation in Gaza is intolerable. Eight months after a devastating war, not one destroyed house has been rebuilt and people cannot live with the respect and dignity they deserve." Earlier on Saturday, the 90-year-old Carter met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah and laid a wreath on the grave of former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Also on Saturday, Carter met with a group of Israelis who live in towns near the border with Gaza. During the meeting, Carter claimed that many within Hamas are interested in peace.
