KONYA
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that the Gaza cease-fire initiative brokered by Turkey and Qatar last week had involved all parties, including the Palestinian government led by Mahmoud Abbas and Egypt.
This statement comes after a week of exchanged barbs between Turkey and Egypt over the Israeli onslaught in the Gaza Strip.
"The Palestinian government, Mr. Abbas and Egypt were included in the ceasefire process. [The ceasefire proposal by Turkey and Qatar] was not an effort to keep Egypt [from this process]. On the contrary, Mr. Kerry held talks in Cairo for the cease-fire," Davutoglu told reporters on Sunday in the central Anatolian province of Konya.
On July 14, Egypt introduced a proposal to end hostilities between the Palestinians of Gaza and Israel, following a week of violence at the time.
The initiative was welcomed in Israel, but Hamas dismissed the Egyptian-brokered ceasefire on the grounds that it did not meet their "people's aspirations” or “the conditions of the resistance.”
On July 17, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri accused Turkey and Qatar of sabotaging this cease-fire initiative. The Israeli Foreign Minister made similar accusations.
Turkey and Qatar presented their own proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip last Friday.
Davutoglu insisted that all actors, including Turkey, Qatar, the U.S., Israel, Egypt, the Palestinian government and Hamas had taken part in the cease-fire negotiations.
A 24-hour respite was eventually obtained on Saturday but it ended on Sunday morning.
According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, at least 1031 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed since July 7 in what Israel describes as a military operation aimed at halting rocket fire from Gaza. On the Israeli side, at least 43 soldiers have been killed, according to official figures.
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