Egyptian president urges Israel to end escalations in occupied Palestinian territories

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Tuesday urged Israel to end its military escalations in the occupied Palestinian territories, the official MENA news agency reported.

Mubarak made the call during a telephone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert Tuesday on the latest development of the ongoing talks between Egyptian officials and the Palestinian factions.

During their telephone conversation, Mubarak stressed the importance of putting an end to military escalations and responding to Egyptian efforts to restore calm and reactivate the stalled Middle East peace process.

Egypt, an important mediator of the Palestinian issue, has been undertaking intensive separate contacts with the Palestinian factions in Cairo since late May in a bid to put an end to Palestinian internal rifts.

Bilateral talks between the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, one of the five major Palestinian groups holding talks with Egypt, and Egyptian officials opened here on Tuesday.

In the previous days, Egyptian officials held similar separate talks with Palestinian groups Fatah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad, saying they have made progress in the talks to end Palestinian infighting and cement a Gaza cease-fire.

Meetings between Egyptian mediators and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, another major Palestinian group, is also expected to kick off within days.

Source: Xinhua