GAZA, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas denied on Friday night that he gave orders to declare a status of emergency in the Palestinian territories, contrary to what Interior Ministry spokesman had said earlier.

    Abbas made the denial in a meeting he held at his Gaza headquarters with Arab and international journalists, including Xinhua reporters in Gaza.

    Khaled Abu Hilal, the Hamas-led Interior Ministry spokesman, had earlier told a news conference in Gaza that Interior Minister Said Siam had ordered a status of emergency due to the ongoing Israeli military offensive on northern Gaza Strip."

    This decision was not issue by the Palestinian presidency. I believe if there is a decision like this, it should be issued by the presidency, therefore I don't believe that such a decision is basically present," Abbas told the reporters.

    Commenting on the continuation of the Israeli army offensive in the Gaza Strip, which has caused a high number of casualties, Abbas said: "Today we have another bloody day in the Palestinian people's history."

    "This people have been struggling for their freedom and independence for almost a century," said Abbas who sat down on a table, while his aides Nabil Abu Rudeineh and Adnan al-Husseini sat to his right and left.

    Abbas added that the Israeli army had killed 43 Palestinian citizens and wounded about 100 others "in addition to destroying the main power plant, bridges, schools, universities and official ministries buildings."

    Speaking about the contacts to release the captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit who had been abducted 12 days ago by militants led by governing Hamas' armed wing, Abbas said that there are contacts with all over the world to free him.

    "We urged also the Arab League to hold an Arab foreign ministers meeting and also urged the United Nations Security Council to interfere to help ending the Israeli attacks and end the crisis of the soldier," said Abbas.

    Abbas also revealed that the Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip "had been planned in advance even before Kerem Shalom attack and the abduction of the soldier, where we were about to reach a truce and halt firing rockets at Israel."

    "We really want the Israeli soldier to get back to his family and his country, but at the same time there are 10,000 prisoners in Israeli jails and we want Israel and the world to bring them back to their families," said Abbas.

    Abbas, meanwhile, revealed that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told him when they met in Jordan two weeks ago before the abduction of the soldier that "when we meet next time, Israel would free Palestinian prisoners."

    Abbas warned that the Israeli military offensive "is obstructing the efforts to free the Israeli soldiers, adding that "if the offensive keeps on, not only Hamas government would be toppled, but the whole Palestinian National Authority (PNA) would collapse."

    He called on Israel to free eight Hamas-ministers and all the legislative council (PLC) lawmakers, denying that he is intending to form a new cabinet.

    "It is not logic to form a new government while half of this government is in Israeli prisons," said Abbas. Enditem