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December 25, 2008

Egypt Urges Israel, Hamas to Show Restraint in Gaza Fighting
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=:A6F02AD83191E160A62EC7882BE810AE21A4E82C900CD027&
 
Egyptian foreign minister made plea after President Hosni Mubarak and
Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni held talks Thursday in Cairo 
Egypt has urged Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas to hold
their fire in order to quell an upsurge in violence along the
Israel-Gaza border. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, right, greets
Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni during meeting at Presidential
Palace in Cairo, 25 Dec 2008Egypt's foreign minister, Ahmed Aboul-Gheit,
made the plea after President Hosni Mubarak and Israeli Foreign Minister
Tzipi Livni held talks Thursday in Cairo. Aboul-Gheit says he hopes
Israel and Hamas return to a cease-fire that ended last week. But he
says it will be hard for Egypt to convince the two sides to do so as
long as the violence escalates. Egypt helped mediate the six-month
cease-fire between Hamas and Israel. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister
Ehud Olmert urged Palestinians in the Gaza Strip to stop the territory's
Hamas rulers from firing rockets and mortars at Israel. Mr. Olmert spoke
in an interview with the Arab television station Al-Arabiya, a day after
Hamas militants fired more than 60 rockets and mortars into southern
Israel. Livni vowed to stop the Hamas attacks, saying "enough is
enough."Israeli defense officials say the military is preparing an
operation against Hamas targets in Gaza. Military sources have not said
when it would happen, but say it depends partly on weather conditions.
Israel also has raised the alert level for emergency rescue services,
and connected all towns within 30 kilometers of the Gaza Strip to a
warning system. Hamas says it attacked Israel Wednesday to avenge the
killing of three militants by Israeli troops Tuesday. Israeli forces
killed another militant Wednesday in response to the attacks. 

Some information for this report was provided by Reuters, AFP and AP.


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