Egyptian politician Amr Moussa said on Friday that the Israeli offensive against Gaza will lead to an "explosive situation" if not halted. "The explosive situation in Gaza cannot last long, and any sedative solutions may delay the problem but will not solve it. The despair planted by Israel will cause an explosion," he said in a statement published on his official Facebook page. "The shedding of more blood by the occupation forces can't lead to anything but normal reactions generated by desperation and the failure to resolve the Palestinian issue," the statement read. Moussa, a foreign minister under former president Mubarak and a former secretary-general of the Arab League, called for the protection of civilians in the Gaza Strip. Over 275 Palestinians have been killed after eleven days of aerial bombardment by Israeli forces. Israeli troops began a ground offensive in the besieged enclave on Thursday night. On Monday, Egypt issued a proposal for a ceasefire. The proposal, immediately endorsed by Israel, was criticised by many factions in Palestine, and officially rejected by Gaza rulers' Hamas, for being unjust, as it holds both sides equally responsible for the violence. Rockets fired by Hamas on Tel Aviv have caused the death of one Israeli while another --an Israeli soldier-- was killed during the start of ground offensive late on Thursday. According to media reports, France has asked Qatar, which has close links with Hamas, to use its influence with the Islamist group to reach a ceasefire. Source : Ahram online
