US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Tuesday that the United State is giving priority to peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians despite its serious concern over other issues in the region.

"We are at this moment focused only on the Israel-Palestinian track," Clinton told her first press conference at the State Department when asked about any new plan for Syria under President Barack Obama's administration.

Clinton insisted that it is important to have a sustained cease- fire in Gaza after the 22-day Israeli offensive against Hamas ended on January 18.

"We have some short-term objectives such as a durable cease- fire, which as you know has receded somewhat today because of the offensive action against the IDF (Israeli Defense Force) along the border," Clinton told reporters.

In her remarks, Clinton also voiced concerns over humanitarian crisis in Gaza. "Of course we're concerned about the humanitarian suffering. We're concerned any time innocent civilians, Palestinians or Israeli, are attacked."

(Xinhua News Agency January 28, 2009)