Israel's Peres in Cairo for Talks
VOA News 01 August 2010
A damaged vehicle in Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza Strip, Saturday, July 31, 2010. Israeli warplanes fired missiles, killing a senior commander of the Hamas military wing and wounding 11 people in five targets hit across Gaza
Israeli President Shimon Peres traveled to Egypt Sunday for talks about the Middle East peace process.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Mr. Peres discussed a proposal that Palestinians and Israelis move to direct peace negotiations. The Arab League recently endorsed the idea of direct peace talks, but only when the Palestinians are ready to proceed.
Palestinian officials said Saturday that U.S. President Barack Obama wrote a letter to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas saying relations might suffer if the Palestinians refuse to resume direct peace talks with Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been pushing for direct negotiations.
President Abbas has refused to enter direct negotiations unless Israel stops settlement construction in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
In the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, Israeli aircraft attacked two tunnels used by smugglers in the southern Gaza Strip in response to Saturday's rocket attack from Gaza into Israel.
The Israeli military said Sunday jets hit two Gaza targets just hours after a Qassam rocket hit a building in the Israeli border town of Sderot.
Militants in Gaza said the Israeli air strike caused damage, but no casualties.
Prime Minister Netanyahu told his Cabinet Sunday that Israel holds the Palestinian militant group Hamas responsible for the violence.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
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