Egypt's Foreign Affairs Minister Ahmed Aboul-Gheit warned against the consequences of the Palestinian split. If this split continues, there will be two Palestinian states, he said, calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza. The Egyptian minister added that he had summoned the Israeli Ambassador to Egypt and talked to him in this regard.
Aboul-Gheit criticized the UN Security Council for not adopting a resolution on stopping the Israeli attacks on Gaza. He also criticized the heated argument at the emergency meeting of Arab foreign ministers, who took ten hours to adopt their own resolution. Speaking to "Good Morning Egypt" TV program yesterday, Aboul-Gheit said Egypt is having continuous contacts to have an immediate cease-fire resolution issued by the Security Council. Slackening in this regard is in nobody's interest, but on the contrary it will deepen the Arab anger and rejection of the international community for this situation. Aboul-Gheit called for stopping hostilities and rocket attacks, restoring the truce, opening border crossings and closing up the Palestinian ranks. The foreign minister stressed that Hamas would never be annihilated, because it represents a share of the Palestinian people. He called on Hamas leaders to consider the situation well as this will affect the future of the Palestinian people and Cause. "You must be aware that the persistence of this situation and division will only lead to further losses for the Palestinian Cause" he said.
A statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Minister Aboul-Gheit asked the Egyptian ambassador to Tel Aviv to convey a message to the Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni saying that Israel should not carry out ground interventions in Gaza and stop all military operations immediately.
In a related context, an Arab League representative said Arab governments were planning to hold a meeting next Monday in New York to discuss ways to end the fighting in Gaza. Foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Morocco and Iraq, as well as the President of the Palestinian Authority, are at the United Nations to discuss their proposal for a cease-fire.
Meanwhile, the Interim Arab Parliament is due to kick off today a two-day emergency meeting in Cairo to discuss the latest developments on the Israeli aggression on Gaza. Syria is expected to boycott the meeting after Ad-Dounia satellite channels, which broadcast from Syria, criticized the holding of meetings in Cairo. The channel said Parliament Speaker Jasim al-Saqr convened the emergency meeting in Egypt, away from the Parliament's main headquarters in Damascus.
