Egypt has continued its efforts to end the war in the Gaza Strip. President Hosni Mubarak and the Palestinian National Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas discussed yesterday ways to implement UN Security Council resolution on an immediate and binding cease-fire between the Palestinians and the Israelis. A Hamas delegation is scheduled to meet with head of the Egyptian Intelligence Omar Suleiman in Cairo today to discuss the Egyptian initiative on Gaza. Mubarak-Abu Mazen talks have discussed proposals and mechanisms to implement the Egyptian initiative to end the Israeli military escalation in the Gaza Strip. Abbas has briefed Mubarak on the outcome of his contacts in the United Nations, the US administration and Spain to put the Security Council resolution into action.
following the meeting, Abbas has called on Hamas to "reach an agreement without hesitation" with Egypt on the Egyptian initiative, adding that it is the mechanism for the implementation of UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
"The Egyptian initiative, we believe, is the mechanism that will implement the Security Council resolution to stop the Israeli aggression. We count on this initiative."
In a related development, spokesman for the Foreign Ministry Hossam Zaki said Egypt did not receive any request for the deployment of international troops on the Gaza border under any truce between Israel and Hamas.
