France asks Syria to help end Gaza conflict

DAMASCUS-French President Nicolas Sarkozy asked Syria on Tuesday to help convince Hamas to cooperate in international efforts to end the Israeli assault in the Gaza Strip.Sarkozy said that he expected Syria to play a role in a regional push for a ceasefire to halt the Israeli offensive on Gaza, which has killed 588 Palestinians since Dec 27."I know the importance of Syria in this region and its influence on a number of players. I don't have any doubt that President Bashar al-Assad will throw all his weight to convince every one to return to reason," Sarkozy said after meeting the Syrian president in Damascus."Those who can work for peace must do it immediately," said Sarkozy, who is on a peace-brokering tour in the Middle East.Sarkozy said any ceasefire must provide "serious guarantees" for the security of Israel and the halt of rocket attacks from Gaza on Israel, the stated aim of Israel's offensive on Gaza.The French president, who held talks with Israeli officials in Jerusalem on Monday, emphasized the need to improve the humanitarian conditions for Palestinians in Gaza. He also called for a ceasefire."I hope that today European non governmental organizations will enter Gaza, that there will be humanitarian corridors and medicine (deliveries)," said Sarkozy, who headed after his talks with Assad to Beirut for meetings with Lebanese officials.Sarkozy will also stop in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on his return flight to Paris for further talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Egyptian officials said.Egypt has been critical of Hamas and helped Israel secure a blockade on Gaza.Hamas officials said the U.S.-backed Egyptian government was one of the better placed regional players that could broker a truce despite the group's misgivings about Egypt.Israel launched its offensive after Hamas called off a six-month truce last month and stepped up rocket attacks in response to Israeli raids and a blockade of the Gaza Strip.More than 588 Palestinians have been killed and some 2,700 wounded in the 11-day conflict. Four Israelis had also been killed and 60 injured by rocket attacks launched from Gaza into southern Israel, he said.Syria, along with Iran, is a main backer of Hamas and hosts members of the group's exiled leadership, including Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal.Assad said that any initiative for a truce must stop what he described as Israel's war crimes in Hamas-run Gaza and lift the blockade in the besieged territory."The blockade is slow death. There will not be a ceasefire that holds if the blockade is not lifted," he said...
By Khaled Yacoub Oweis
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE5052PN20090106?virtualBrandChannel=10112

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