Israel, Palestinians firm on Gaza pullout

Rice said that her meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders convinced her that both sides share a commitment to ensuring Israel's withdrawal from Gaza takes place smoothly and peacefully.

Rice spoke at a news conference after two days of meetings with top officials from both sides intended to spur cooperation on the withdrawal.

"Israel and the Palestinian Authority share a commitment to ensure that disengagement happens smoothly without violence," she said.

If the withdrawal from Gaza and four settlements in the northern West Bank can be accomplished in an orderly way it can build trust between the two sides and create better conditions for peace efforts after the pullout.

Both the Israelis and Palestinians agree that the homes in the Gaza Strip settlements will need to be destroyed when Israel pulls out this summer, and they will need to work together to figure out how that will happen, Rice said.

"The parties agree that they have to work this out in a cooperative way," she said. "The view is that there are better land use possibilities for the Palestinians that can better address their housing needs."

The two sides also agreed to work to ensure that goods and people are able to flow into and out of Gaza after the pullout, she said.

"The United States cannot make the disengagement work, only the Israelis and Palestinians can make the disengagement work," she said.

Rice stressed that the pullout, which will be the first time Israel has withdrawn from land that Palestinians claim for a future state, is a historic step.