Barack Obama, the US president, has called on Israel to lift the "siege" on Palestinians, after a meeting with Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president.

Wednesday's meeting in Washington also resulted in a $400m US aid package for Gaza and the West Bank.

Abbas said Obama's statement is a "positive signal" that the US cared about the suffering of those in Gaza and the Palestinian people.

Al Jazeera's Patty Culhane reports. (June 10, 2010)