Egyptian Ambassador to the Palestinian Authority Yasser Othman told the Voice of Palestine radio station Sunday that Israel is using the
escalation in the Gaza Strip to complicate the PA's bid for statehood in the United Nations next month, Israel Radio reported.
The Egyptian ambassador added that Israeli operations in Gaza were also complicating Cairo's efforts to stabilize the Sinai Peninsula, according to the report.
RELATED:'Hamas talking to Islamic Jihad in effort to halt rockets' Egypt: Barak's apology for soldiers' deaths not enough Othman was reportedly involved in efforts over the weekend to mediate a
truce between Israel and Hamas. He said Sunday that Cairo's efforts to
bring calm to Gaza are ongoing, there are no guarantees of success,
Israel Radio reported.
One of Egypt's central demands in negotiating a truce in Gaza, the
ambassador told a Palestinian newspaper, was for Israel to halt all
attacks on the Strip.
On Saturday, London-based Arabic-language newspaper Al-Hayat
reported that Egypt has also been mediating between Israel and
Hamas in an effort to stop the escalation in the Gaza Strip.
According
to the report, Egypt delivered a message from Jerusalem to Hamas that
Israel was only targeting the elements responsible for the terror attack
in Eilat that left eight people dead on Thursday and would stop its
strikes on Gaza if rocket fire into Israel stopped.
