WASHINGTON, June 14 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice telephoned Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday and underlined U.S. support for Palestinian moderates committed to a negotiated peace with Israel, a spokesman said.

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack also told a news briefing the Bush administration would consider an international peacekeeping force for Gaza advanced by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon but believes that finding effective troops would be difficult.

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