Egypt Calls for Steps to End Bloodshed in Palestinian AreasEgypt on Saturday called for urgent measures to end the bloodshed in the Palestinian territories, Egypt's Middle East News Agency (MENA)reported."Egypt was deeply concerned with the negative developments in the Palestinian areas, with Palestinian people continuing to fall prey to violence," Osama El-Baz, President Hosni Mubarak's political advisor, said after seeing off Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat at Cairo airport. "What is important now is to deal with the current situation in a way to ensure a halt to the bloodletting" in clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli security forces in the Palestinian areas, El-Baz told MENA. Arafat arrived here earlier in the day to brief Mubarak on the worsening situation in Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, he said, adding that "such acts as use of live ammunition by Israeli forces were likely to lead to an uncontrollable situation." Clashes erupted Thursday in Jerusalem as the Palestinians protested against the visit by Israeli right-wing Likud leader Ariel Sharon to a holy site in East Jerusalem, known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as Al-Haram Al-Sharif, or Noble Sanctuary. The waves of protests later spread to the West Bank and Gaza. El-Baz said Mubarak is making contacts with all parties concerned in the Mideast peace process, including the Israeli government, in an effort to stem further deterioration of the current situation. The Egyptian leader held a telephone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak on Saturday and deplored the tense situation in the Palestinian areas and the negative impact on the Mideast peace process, MENA said. |
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