Israeli President Shimon Peres on Tuesday slammed Hamas while lauding an Egyptian proposal for a ceasefire between his country and Gaza-based Palestinian resistance groups.
The ceasefire proposal was "a window of opportunity to bring the fighting to an end," Peres said at a meeting with Quarter envoy Tony Blair at the Presidential Residence in Jerusalem.
"Hamas isolated itself as Israel accepted the ceasefire," Peres said moments before Israel resumed its bloody air offensive against Gaza, citing continued rocket fire at Israel from the Palestinian enclave.
"If they [Hamas] continue [to fire rockets] despite the proposal, they will only bring more suffering to their people," he added.
Earlier Tuesday, Israel's security cabinet accepted an Egyptian ceasefire proposal, saying it would suspend airstrikes on the Gaza Strip. Hours later, it resumed its aerial bombardments.
Almost 200 Palestinians have been killed and more than 1400 injured in unrelenting Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip over the past week.
Peres called for a return to peace talks to achieve "the only viable, long term solution: two states for two peoples."
While portraying Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as a "man of peace," he claimed that Hamas was holding the people of Gaza "hostage."
"Hamas continues to hold them [Gazans] hostage… President Abbas is not only a partner for Israel, but is the best hope for the Palestinians for a future of stability, respect, independence and prosperity. He is a man of peace, a responsible leader," said Peres.
Blair, for his part, hailed Egypt for putting forward the ceasefire initiative.
"The purpose is also to give us the opportunity to put in place a long-term solution," Blair added.
The Egyptian initiative calls on Israel to cease all hostilities in the Gaza Strip, halt all ground operations, and refrain from targeting civilians, according to an Egyptian Foreign Ministry statement.
It also calls on Gaza-based resistance factions to cease all hostilities against Israel, halt rocket fire and cross-border attacks and stop targeting civilians.
The overture further calls for reopening Gaza's closed border crossings and facilitating the movement of persons and goods in and out of the embattled coastal strip.
By Turgut Alp Boyraz
englishnews@aa.com.tr
