Geneva — Kofi Annan on Tuesday defended former US president Jimmy Carter for holding direct talks with Hamas in Syria in the face of sharp attacks from both Israel and the White House.

"I don't think the criticism is entirely fair," the former United Nations secretary general told reporters at a press conference for his new Global Humanitarian Forum in Geneva.

"We should be cautious not to over-react but take advantage of whatever openings president Carter has been able to obtain to move the process forward," he said.

"He's the only president who's been able to broker an enduring peace agreement between Israel and Egypt and for that we are very grateful," Annan said.

Carter held talks last week with exiled Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal in the Syrian capital Damascus against the advice of US officials.

"We counseled president Carter against going to the region, in particular against having contact with Hamas," US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Tuesday.

"The United States is not going to deal with Hamas, and we certainly told president Carter that we didn't think meeting with Hamas was going to help the Palestinians who (are) actually devoted to peace," Rice said.

Annan urged the administration of current US President George W. Bush to step up its efforts in the region, saying only Washington carries sufficient clout to make a deal possible.

"On the Middle East issue the heavy hitter has to be the US administration," Annan said.

"You cannot make a major step without the full commitment, engagement and determination of the US government," he added.

Former US president Bill Clinton held high-level talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders right up to the end of his presidency in 2000 in the hope of reaching an accord, but Bush has been criticised in some quarters for taking a less "hands-on" approach.

Annan's successor as UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, has faced calls from within the organisation to take a more proactive role in the Middle East peace process and talk directly to the Hamas movement.

John Dugard, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, said last week that the latest bloodshed in Gaza made it imperative that the UN take all steps necessary to secure peace.

"How long is this madness to continue without serious international intervention?" asked Dugard in a statement.

"There is no reason why the United Nations, acting through the Security Council or the secretary general, should not intervene and assert its role as mediator," he said.

Annan said that Ban was "doing his best, but we need to look to US leadership and sustained mediation efforts to get results."

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