US President George W. Bush called for a worldwide crackdown on Hamas and other Palestinian groups behind deadly anti-Israeli violence. Bush said that in order to bring peace to the region "it is clear that the free world, those who love freedom and peace, must deal harshly with Hamas and the killers" of Israelis. "For those of us who are interested in moving the process forward, we must combine our efforts to cut off all money, support, for anybody who tries to sabotage the peace process." The US leader renewed his commitment to the internationally drawn plan for peace that calls for Palestinian authority to stop intifadha. "I'm confident we can achieve peace. It's going to be a tough road, but I am determined to continue to lend the weight of this government to advance peace," said Bush after church services here. He was spending a long weekend at his family compound in this posh oceanside enclave. The comments came as Israeli and Palestinian officials were reportedly near agreement on an Israeli withdrawal from parts of Gaza, and as Hamas itself sought to keep its options open seeking to avoid isolation. Bush sidestepped questions about whether the United States would provide money or arms to help Abbas set up a security force that can deal forcefully with extremists. "We would like for the Palestinian Authority to set up a security force ... that will do the job that Prime Minister Abbas assured me that they're interested in doing, which is to defeat those terrorists," he said. The United States has moved to cut off sources of funding for Hamas and other Palestinian suspicious groups and recently indicted leaders of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. But the administration has rejected the notion of sending US troops to the Middle East, either alone or as part of an international force. Israel also is cool to the idea. "I don't want one American soldier to risk his life for something which is not an immediate American interest," Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told CNN. "We can do this fighting, why should we have American soldiers?" Several US lawmakers and world leaders have suggested a third-party force be created to separate Israelis and Palestinians and curb the ongoing violence. The latest was Senator Richard Lugar, a top Republican in Congress. **PHOTO CAPTION*** U.S. President George W. Bush talks to his dog Spot on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, June 12, 2003. (REUTERS/William Philpott)