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''Terror and rockets do not merely kill innocent civilians,'' Cheney said. ''They also kill legitimate hopes and aspirations of the Palestinian people.''

In an apparent response to Cheney, a Hamas leader in Gaza, Mahmoud Zahar, said: ''This is part of the American policy and this is part of the war crimes committed by this administration. ... Sooner or later the criminals will be punished.''

On Cheney's 10-day trip to the Mideast, talks with leaders have focused on oil, Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran.

Before his diplomatic mission, Cheney began Easter Sunday with a peaceful prayer and the singing of ''Amazing Grace'' at a tiny chapel in Jerusalem with an arched ceiling of stones.

Heading into a meeting with Israeli President Shimon Peres, Cheney said the U.S. was dedicated to doing all it could to advance the peace process. He said the administration also was ''actively involved in dealing with the threats that we see emerging in the region -- not only threats to Israel, but threats to the United States as well.''

It was clear that Cheney was referring to Iran. Peres was more specific, saying declarations that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has made against Israel cannot be ignored.

Late Sunday, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak told Cheney that Iran's military buildup ''is endangering the stability of the region and the entire world'' and that no option should be taken off the table concerning Tehran's nuclear program, according to a statement from Barak's office.

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Associated Press writers Amy Teibel in Jerusalem and Mohammed Daraghmeh in the West Bank contributed to this report.

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