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Abbas Singles Out Israel As He Pushes For Peace

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The Associated Press

Published: January 11, 2009

CAIRO, Egypt - The Palestinian Authority president urged both Israel and Hamas to agree to an Egypt-brokered truce Saturday, but he singled out the Jewish state, saying it would be responsible for a "waterfall of blood" if it didn't accept the deal.
Mahmoud Abbas was in Cairo on Saturday for talks with Egyptian officials on a truce to end the fighting in the Gaza Strip, now in its 15th day. In a news conference Saturday after meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Abbas stressed there was no time to waste in ending the bloodshed in Gaza, home to 1.4 million people.

Hamas and other Syria-based Palestinian militant groups Saturday rejected deploying international observers or troops in Gaza.

In a statement issued Saturday, after a meeting attended by Hamas political leader Khaled Mashaal, they also rejected any security arrangement that infringes on the right of resistance against Israeli occupation.

The statement reiterated Hamas' demands, including a halt to Israeli attacks, full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, lifting the siege and opening all border crossings.

Mashaal accused Israel on Saturday of committing a "real holocaust" in Gaza, saying that the attacks had ended any hope for a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace.

He did, however, leave the door open for negotiations to end the current attacks in Gaza, which Israel launched to end Hamas rocket attacks. In the past 15 days, more than 800 Palestinians have died.

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