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Security Council to Discuss Gaza

By VOA News
06 January 2009

A Hamas delegation is in Cairo for talks with Egyptian mediators on a possible cease-fire with Israel.

Egypt's intelligence chief, Omar Suleiman, is meeting Tuesday with a Palestinian delegation, headed by two Hamas political leaders, Emad al-Alami and Mohammed Nasr, based in Syria.

Al-Arabiya TV says that Israel prevented two other Hamas leaders from leaving the Gaza Strip to attend the talks.

Hamas officials say the group will consider a cease-fire only if Israel ends its offensive in Gaza and reopens the territory's borders.

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said the offensive will continue until Israel achieves "peace and tranquility" for residents of southern Israel, who have been targets of Hamas rocket attacks.

Later Tuesday, the United Nations Security Council is scheduled to meet regarding a draft resolution by Arab leaders calling for Israel to stop its offensive.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will join the talks along with the foreign ministers of several European and Middle East nations. Arab leaders hope their proposed truce will not be blocked by the United States, which has objected to earlier drafts that failed to address Hamas rocket attacks.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will also attend the meeting. A State Department official says she will try to further efforts to achieve a cease-fire, but the main reason of her New York visit will be to consult with U.S. friends and allies on a truce.

Mideast envoy Tony Blair said Tuesday an immediate cease-fire is possible if the tunnels used to ferry arms from Egypt into Gaza are closed. The former British prime minister represents the Quartet of Middle East peace brokers, consisting of the United States, the European Union, the U.N. and Russia, and is holding meetings throughout the region.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy held talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus today, part of his diplomatic tour of the region. The French president said Mr. Assad can play an important role in pressuring Hamas to end its attacks. He said there is no military solution to the situation and stressed he had given the same message to Israeli leaders during talks Monday.

Mr. Assad denounced the Israeli offensive as "barbaric aggression" and accused Israel of violating Geneva conventions regarding the protections of civilians by an occupation power during time of war.

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