January 15, 2009
HOPES for a peace deal in Gaza have improved, with Hamas apparently "reacting favourably" to an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire plan.
Hamas has agreed to a temporary ceasefire plan in Gaza, although Israel is yet to agree to the truce.
International pleas mounted overnight for a halt to the Gaza war as the death toll in the Palestinian territory passed 1000 people.
Israeli jets carried out a fresh wave of air strikes across the Gaza Strip this morning, killing at least 13 Palestinians, including a 13-year-old boy, medics and witnesses said.
But while al-Qa'ida leader Osama bin Laden seized on the conflict to call for a holy war against Israel, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas could be edging closer.
“The outlines of a ceasefire have begun to appear, even if we still have to face serious obstacles,” Mr Kouchner told the French parliament. “I'm convinced that our efforts will bear fruit.”
His comments were echoed by French President Nicolas Sarkozy who said he had “a good feeling that things are moving in a positive way” as he held talks with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in Paris.
Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said in Jerusalem that Gaza's Islamist movement Hamas had accepted an Egyptian initiative to halt the war and “is going to publicly express its support and acceptance”.
While an Egyptian official said earlier that Hamas had “reacted favourably” to Egyptian efforts to end the fighting, according to MENA news agency in Cairo where UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon began his Middle East peace tour.
After talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Mr Ban repeated his call for an “immediate and durable ceasefire,” and urged “both parties... to stop the fighting now. There is no time to lose”.
Middle Eastern countries also added their calls to an end to the violence.
Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah called an emergency summit of Gulf countries in Riyadh later today due to escalating tensions “resulting from the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people,” the Saudi SPA news agency said.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told the BBC that his country was doing everything to mediate a truce and warned that Israel's offensive on the Gaza Strip risks “sowing the seeds of extremism around the region”.
His views were echoed by Jordan's King Abdullah II who said Israel “should be forced to be committed to UN Security Council Resolution 1860,” which was adopted last week, demanding an “immediate, durable” ceasefire leading to the “full withdrawal” of Israeli forces from Gaza.
The UN General Assembly was to hold an emergency session tonight to press for a ceasefire call.
Meanwhile a number of European deputies insisted that the EU take sanctions against Israel amid wider calls to freeze deeper ties with the Jewish state.
Bin Laden, in his first audio broadcast for more than eight months, called on Muslims to declare a holy war on Israel because of the Gaza conflict.
In a recording entitled “A Call for Jihad to Stop Aggression Against Gaza,” the al-Qa'ida leader also criticised Arab countries' handling of the conflict.
Gaza medics say more than 1000 Palestinians have been killed, including 292 children, and more than 4500 people wounded in the conflict. Ten Israeli soldiers and three civilians have been killed in combat or by rocket attacks.
“There's an increasing number of women and children being wounded and going to hospitals,” Red Cross spokesman Jakob Kellenberger told reporters in Jerusalem.
Iran meanwhile accused Israel of preventing a Red Crescent ship carrying medicines and food from reaching the Gaza Strip on Wednesday.
An Israeli army spokesman confirmed to AFP that the navy had stopped an Iranian boat from approaching the Gaza coastline. Israel has enforced a naval blockade along the Gaza coast.
HOPES for a peace deal in Gaza have improved, with Hamas apparently "reacting favourably" to an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire plan.
Hamas has agreed to a temporary ceasefire plan in Gaza, although Israel is yet to agree to the truce.
International pleas mounted overnight for a halt to the Gaza war as the death toll in the Palestinian territory passed 1000 people.
Israeli jets carried out a fresh wave of air strikes across the Gaza Strip this morning, killing at least 13 Palestinians, including a 13-year-old boy, medics and witnesses said.
But while al-Qa'ida leader Osama bin Laden seized on the conflict to call for a holy war against Israel, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas could be edging closer.
“The outlines of a ceasefire have begun to appear, even if we still have to face serious obstacles,” Mr Kouchner told the French parliament. “I'm convinced that our efforts will bear fruit.”
His comments were echoed by French President Nicolas Sarkozy who said he had “a good feeling that things are moving in a positive way” as he held talks with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in Paris.
Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said in Jerusalem that Gaza's Islamist movement Hamas had accepted an Egyptian initiative to halt the war and “is going to publicly express its support and acceptance”.
While an Egyptian official said earlier that Hamas had “reacted favourably” to Egyptian efforts to end the fighting, according to MENA news agency in Cairo where UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon began his Middle East peace tour.
After talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Mr Ban repeated his call for an “immediate and durable ceasefire,” and urged “both parties... to stop the fighting now. There is no time to lose”.
Middle Eastern countries also added their calls to an end to the violence.
Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah called an emergency summit of Gulf countries in Riyadh later today due to escalating tensions “resulting from the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people,” the Saudi SPA news agency said.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told the BBC that his country was doing everything to mediate a truce and warned that Israel's offensive on the Gaza Strip risks “sowing the seeds of extremism around the region”.
His views were echoed by Jordan's King Abdullah II who said Israel “should be forced to be committed to UN Security Council Resolution 1860,” which was adopted last week, demanding an “immediate, durable” ceasefire leading to the “full withdrawal” of Israeli forces from Gaza.
The UN General Assembly was to hold an emergency session tonight to press for a ceasefire call.
Meanwhile a number of European deputies insisted that the EU take sanctions against Israel amid wider calls to freeze deeper ties with the Jewish state.
Bin Laden, in his first audio broadcast for more than eight months, called on Muslims to declare a holy war on Israel because of the Gaza conflict.
In a recording entitled “A Call for Jihad to Stop Aggression Against Gaza,” the al-Qa'ida leader also criticised Arab countries' handling of the conflict.
Gaza medics say more than 1000 Palestinians have been killed, including 292 children, and more than 4500 people wounded in the conflict. Ten Israeli soldiers and three civilians have been killed in combat or by rocket attacks.
“There's an increasing number of women and children being wounded and going to hospitals,” Red Cross spokesman Jakob Kellenberger told reporters in Jerusalem.
Iran meanwhile accused Israel of preventing a Red Crescent ship carrying medicines and food from reaching the Gaza Strip on Wednesday.
An Israeli army spokesman confirmed to AFP that the navy had stopped an Iranian boat from approaching the Gaza coastline. Israel has enforced a naval blockade along the Gaza coast.
Source: The Australian
 |
Posts
