Mubarak Calls for Halting Israeli Aggressions on Palestinians

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, December 16, 2001

Mubarak Calls for Halting Israeli Aggressions on Palestinians

Egyptian President Hosni MubarakSaturday called for halting Israel's continued assaults against thePalestinians, the state-run MENA news agency reported. Mubarak made the appeal during his meeting with the U.S. peaceenvoys William Burns and Anthony Zinni, Egyptian Foreign MinisterAhmed Maher said at a news conference held after the meeting."It is necessary to put an end to the Israeli aggressions on thePalestinians and their leadership in order to achieve calm in theregion and revive peace negotiations," Maher quoted Mubarak assaying.

Mubarak also stressed that Egypt supports any "sincere" effortsto end the current circle of violence in the interests of a justpeace and a return to negotiations, Maher said.

Burns and Zinni arrived at Cairo Saturday afternoon on a brief visitto Egypt, in which they had asked Mubarak to step up pressure onPalestinian leader Yasser Arafat to crack down on Islamicmilitants, sources said.

Burns and Zinni, named by U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powellas Mideast peace envoys last month, intended to broker a ceasefirebetween Israel and the Palestinians to end their almost 15 monthsof violence, which has so far killed more than 1,000 people, mostlyPalestinians.

The Mideast situation has been further deteriorating as theIsraeli cabinet decided Wednesday night to cut off all contactswith Arafat and approved a series of military measures againstPalestinian targets in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

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