|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
By Category |
 |
|
|
| |
|
| |
| |
India On Media |
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
| Politics
News |
|
| Rice embarks on Mideast peace visit |
| US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in Egypt on Tuesday
|
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
, 4-March-2008
10:5:22 AM |
| US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in Egypt on Tuesday at the start of a regional tour with hopes for an Israeli Palestinian peace deal hit hard by an escalation of violence in the Gaza Strip.
Rice was due to meet Egyptian officials including President Hosni Mubarak, Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit and intelligence supremo Omar Suleiman, who on Monday cancelled a trip to Israel in protest at Israel's Gaza offensive.
Rice stressed her confidence in the chances of success for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process launched in November at Annapolis, blaming Hamas for the recent burst of violence in the Middle East.
''I continue to believe that they can get to a deal by the end of the year,'' Rice said in the plane taking her to Cairo. ''The Annapolis process is hardly underway. We are three months in.''
The secretary of state refrained for criticizing Israel over its Operation Hot Winter, which claimed dozens of Palestinian lives in the space of two days in the Gaza Strip, including women and children, noting that the onslaught was in self-defence.
''I am going to have discussions with the Egyptians, with the Palestinians and with the Israelis about how you might get violence to stop.
But first and foremost Hamas needs to stop firing rockets into Israeli cities,'' she said referring to the ruling Islamist group in the Gaza Strip.
''Obviously the situation in Gaza is one that is concerning,'' Rice went on. But ... we need to continue to work, first of all to make certain that everyone understands that Hamas is doing what might be expected, which is using attacks, rocket attacks on Israel to try to arrest a peace process in which they have nothing to gain.''
She called on the Israelis, however, to allow the resumption of humanitarian aid into Gaza, saying: ''One, again, has to think in carrying out military operations, about the day after
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ADVERTISEMENTS
Free offer!!! Become an administrator for your zip home page, "Post" local news (local to your postcode)& pictures, "Post" advertisement banners from local companies. Make Extra money.
|
 |
 |
|
|
| |
|
