JERUSALEM: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pressed her ‘aggressive’ Middle East diplomacy on Tuesday, saying she was sending two envoys to Syria and vowing to work towards a Palestinian state.

On her first visit to the region since her appointment by US President Barack Obama, Clinton said she would pursue a comprehensive peace plan while stressing that Israel could count on continued support from its staunchest ally.

She announced she was sending two members of her delegation -Jeffrey Feltman and Daniel Shapiro -to Syria, a longtime foe of the Jewish state with whom US relations have been strained for years.

‘There are a number of issues we have between Syria and the United States as well as the larger regional concerns that Syria obviously poses,’ she said after talks with outgoing Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni.

‘The United States and Syria have differences of views on many important topics, and this is an opportunity for us to exchange views on bilateral issues and regional concerns,’ a State Department official said.

Another US official said the envoys would visit Syria at the end of the week. It would be the highest level contact since January 2005.

Outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said he would update Clinton about Israeli-Syrian peace negotiations through Turkish mediation.

‘Together we will discuss ways in which we can extricate as many countries in the region from extremism in order to weaken the strength and influence of those countries which support terror and of terrorist organisations in the region,’ Olmert said.

Clinton stressed ‘not only my personal commitment but also that of my country to the fundamental and unshakeable bond that binds us to Israel’s security and our enduring bonds of friendship.’ But she also underscored the US commitment to the creation of a viable Palestinian state living peacefully alongside Israel.

‘It is our assessment … that eventually, the inevitability of working toward a two-state solution is inescapable.’

‘The first step right now … is a durable ceasefire,’ Clinton said. ‘But that can only be achieved if Hamas ceases the rocket attacks.’ Hamas lashed out at the comments.

‘The government considers the statements from Hillary Clinton to be the height of bias towards the Israeli occupation,’ Hamas government spokesman Taher al-Nunu said in a statement.

Clinton also held talks with Israel’s premier-designate Benjamin Netanyahu, who is working to create a new government likely to be a right-wing coalition opposed to establishing a Palestinian state.

(dawn.com)