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| Rice tries to save Mid-East talks | Rice tries to save Mid-East talks |
| (9 minutes later) | |
| US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has held talks with Egyptian officials, the first stage of a trip aimed at saving Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. | US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has held talks with Egyptian officials, the first stage of a trip aimed at saving Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. |
| Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas broke off contacts with Israel in protest at its recent offensive in Gaza, which has left more than 100 Palestinians dead. | Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas broke off contacts with Israel in protest at its recent offensive in Gaza, which has left more than 100 Palestinians dead. |
| Ms Rice said the US was concerned about the toll of innocent life, but blamed Hamas for triggering the bloodshed. | Ms Rice said the US was concerned about the toll of innocent life, but blamed Hamas for triggering the bloodshed. |
| She said talks must not be sabotaged by those rejecting a peace deal. | She said talks must not be sabotaged by those rejecting a peace deal. |
| Ms Rice will head on to Israel and the West Bank for further negotiations with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. | Ms Rice will head on to Israel and the West Bank for further negotiations with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. |
| I continue to believe that they can get to a deal by the end of the year if everyone's got the will to do it Condoleezza Rice An asymmetric fightIn pictures: Gaza aftermath | I continue to believe that they can get to a deal by the end of the year if everyone's got the will to do it Condoleezza Rice An asymmetric fightIn pictures: Gaza aftermath |
| Israel has now pulled its troops out of Gaza, but has warned of fresh action to prevent militants firing rockets at populated areas in southern Israel. | |
| "There has to be an active peace process that can withstand the efforts of rejectionists to keep peace from being made," Mr Rice told reporters in Cairo. | |
| "The people who are firing rockets do not want peace, they sow instability, that is what Hamas is doing," Ms Rice said. | |
| Three Israelis have died in recent days - a civilian killed by a rocket and two soldiers in the Gaza clashes. | Three Israelis have died in recent days - a civilian killed by a rocket and two soldiers in the Gaza clashes. |
| Ms Rice's trip was planned a few weeks ago and was meant to move peace talks forward, after a commitment by both sides at a conference in November in the US. | Ms Rice's trip was planned a few weeks ago and was meant to move peace talks forward, after a commitment by both sides at a conference in November in the US. |
| But instead the US secretary of state finds herself on a rescue mission, trying to get the two parties to talk to each other again, the BBC's Kim Ghattas in Washington says. | But instead the US secretary of state finds herself on a rescue mission, trying to get the two parties to talk to each other again, the BBC's Kim Ghattas in Washington says. |
| Our correspondent adds that the recent violence has shown the limitations of the Bush administration's strategy of talking to the government of Mr Abbas while cutting off Hamas in Gaza. | |
| Hamas does not recognise Israel and opposes the peace process. It ousted Mr Abbas's forces from Gaza in June, but he remains in control of Palestinian-administered parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. | Hamas does not recognise Israel and opposes the peace process. It ousted Mr Abbas's forces from Gaza in June, but he remains in control of Palestinian-administered parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. |
| International alarm | International alarm |
| The Israeli prime minister has warned that the recent Gaza offensive was "not a one-off event". | The Israeli prime minister has warned that the recent Gaza offensive was "not a one-off event". |
| Parts of Jabaliya, Gaza, have been destroyed by the operationMr Olmert told the parliamentary foreign affairs and defence committee: "Everything is possible... air strikes, ground strikes and special operations are all being discussed." | Parts of Jabaliya, Gaza, have been destroyed by the operationMr Olmert told the parliamentary foreign affairs and defence committee: "Everything is possible... air strikes, ground strikes and special operations are all being discussed." |
| A senior government official quoted by Reuters news agency said Israel had called a "two-day interval" during the US secretary of state's visit. | A senior government official quoted by Reuters news agency said Israel had called a "two-day interval" during the US secretary of state's visit. |
| Medical sources say at least 112 Palestinians - including children - have been killed since Wednesday. | Medical sources say at least 112 Palestinians - including children - have been killed since Wednesday. |
| There has been widespread international alarm at the scale of the Israeli operation. | There has been widespread international alarm at the scale of the Israeli operation. |
| The European Union criticised what it called Israel's "disproportionate use of force" and also demanded an immediate end to Palestinian militant rocket attacks on Israel. | The European Union criticised what it called Israel's "disproportionate use of force" and also demanded an immediate end to Palestinian militant rocket attacks on Israel. |
| Israeli human rights group B'Tselem expressed concern at what it called the large number of children and other civilians among those killed and wounded in the Gaza Strip. |