WEST BANK: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas meets with U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and calls for deployment of international forces in Gaza.

Record ID: 560484

  • Title: WEST BANK: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas meets with U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and calls for deployment of international forces in Gaza.
  • Date: 17th January 2009
  • Summary: SLATE INFORMATION
  • Embargoed: 1st February 2009 12:00
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  • Reuters ID: LVACFXLKKTSYA0ERD3WSPCZG3DZP
  • Story Text: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas calls for the immediate cessation of hostilities in Gaza, and the deployment of international forces inside the embattled Palestinian territory.
    United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon urged Israel on Friday (January 16) to call a unilateral ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, as Israeli forces continue operations against Hamas.
    "The fighting must stop now. We have no time to lose. If they would have had taken some more time, there will be more casualties, more losses of human lives, more destruction. I would urge again that a unilateral declaration of ceasefire would be necessary at this time. I'm looking forward to continuing my discussions with the leaders in the region,"
    Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said during a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
    Abbas called for an immediate cessation of violence in Gaza as well.
    The Palestinian President also called for the deployment of international forces in Gaza.
    "Now we should focus on stopping all the military actions and aggression. And we demand immediately the existence of international forces in the Gaza Strip," Abbas said.
    Hamas leaders have balked at the idea of an international force deployed in Gaza, saying that any outside soldiers would be treated as an occupying force.
    Israel said its Gaza offensive could be "in the final act" on Friday and sent envoys to discuss truce terms after Hamas made a ceasefire offer to end three weeks of fighting that has killed more than 1,100 Palestinians.
    Hamas and diplomatic sources told Reuters on Thursday (January 15) that Hamas had offered a one-year, renewable truce on condition that all Israeli forces withdrew within a week and that all the border crossings with Israel and Egypt would be opened.
    Launched on Dec. 27 with the stated objective of ending Hamas rocket attacks on Israel, the Israeli offensive has killed some 1,132 Palestinians and wounded 5,100, the Gaza Health Ministry said. A Palestinian human rights group put the civilian death toll as of Jan. 15 at around 700.
    Thirteen Israelis have been killed in the conflict.
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