Hamas has called on the UN Security Council to end the “brutal war” in the Gaza Strip. “We call on the Security Council, the international community and all countries in the world to put an end to this brutal war and save the Gaza Strip before it is too late,” the Palestinian group’s press office said in a statement.
Abu Mazen calls for peace conference for the Palestinian state
A senior U.S. official said the idea of an international conference has been discussed among several partners, but the proposal is still in a preliminary stage. “It is one of many options on the table that we and others will consider with an open mind, but no decision has been made on it,” the official said on condition of anonymity. Abbas said that, on the basis of a binding international agreement, he would revive the weakened Palestinian Authority, implement long-awaited reforms and hold presidential and parliamentary elections, which were suspended after Hamas won in 2006 and subsequently pushed the Authority Palestinian out of Gaza. He then added that the Palestinian Authority has respected all the peace agreements signed with Israel since the 1993 Oslo Agreement and the agreements that have followed over the years, but that Israel has reneged on its promises to end the occupation . Asked whether he would risk holding elections given the possibility that Hamas could win as in 2006, Abu Mazen replied that “whoever wins wins, these will be democratic elections.”