UN chief embarks on Mideast tour amid intensive Gaza talks

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak (R) meets visiting UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in Cairo, capital of Egypt, Jan. 14, 2009. (Xinhua/Zhang Ning) Photo Gallery>>>

    CAIRO, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived in the Middle East for a regional tour on Wednesday as intensive talks among parties concerned were being held in a bid to help reach a ceasefire in the embattled Palestinian territory of Gaza Strip.

    During his stay in Egypt, Ban renewed his call for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, where more than 1,000 Palestinians have been reportedly killed in the past 19 days of Israeli offensive against the Palestinian enclave. Full story

Abbas says they need immediate ceasefire

    RAMALLAH, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian National Authority(PNA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas said on Wednesday evening that what the Palestinian leadership want now is an immediate ceasefire in the warring Gaza Strip.

    Speaking at a press conference with visiting Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, Abbas said that he doesn't know if the Egyptian initiative about a ceasefire in Gaza will be implemented right now, but "we hope the Israeli aggression on Gaza will end as soon as possible." Full story

Report: Hamas accepts Egyptian initiative on ceasefire

    GAZA, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) announced on Wednesday evening that it has accepted an Egyptian-brokered initiative to reach a ceasefire with Israel in the Gaza Strip.

    The Gaza-based news agency of "Ramattan" quoted senior Hamas sources as saying that the movement, which rules the coastal enclave, has accepted the initiative of a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel. Full story