WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 (Xinhuanet) -- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Friday that the United States will work hard to implement the "road map" leading to a Palestinian state if Hamas cooperated.

    "There is no reason that the Palestinian people ought to be denied statehood, a more peaceful life, an end to the kind of daily humiliations to which they are currently subjected," Rice told reporters before she travels to the Middle East next week.

    "There's no reason that that can't all come to an end and we can't have a two-state solution if there is a Palestinian government that is prepared to pursue it," the top U.S. diplomat said.

    She said if Hamas, considered by the United States a terrorist organization, renounce violence, recognize the existence of Israel,"I believe you could move the peace process along very rapidly."

    On aid to the Palestinians, Rice said Washington would continue humanitarian aid to the Palestinians. "The United States of America is not going to stop giving money for the immunization of Palestinian children. It would be against our values to do that."

    "We will find a way to respond to those humanitarian needs. We have long established ties either through the UN and through some non-governmental organizations that I think will allow us to do that."

    However, the top U.S. diplomat stressed that "assistance that might help a government that is dedicated to the destruction of Israel, that's just not going to happen."

    Washington, which planned to provide some 234 million dollars in assistance to the Palestinians before Hamas's legislative victory, has said it would give no money to a Hamas-led government. Enditem