International effort key to success of Gaza ceasefire

Source: Xinhua | 01-19-2009 09:45

JERUSALEM, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- An international conference hosted by Egypt and the future involvement of its participants in the Gaza Strip will be pivotal to the success of a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, analysts said on Sunday.

(From L to R) Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, German  Chancellor Angela Merkel, Czech Prime Minister Mirek  Topolanek, Turkish President Abdullah Gul, French President  Nicolas Sarkozy, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak,  Jordanian King Abdullah II, Spanish Prime Minister Jose  Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, British Prime Minister Gordon  Brown, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Arab  League Secretary General Amr Moussa are seen at a press  conference after an international summit on Gaza crisis  on Gaza in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh  on Jan. 18, 2009.(Xinhua/Wang Wei)

The international summit called by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to discuss Gaza situation started in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh Sunday.

The international conference, which was co-chaired by Mubarak and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, was attended by a number of European leaders, and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa as well as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Although Palestinian militants in Gaza initially defied Israel's declaration of a unilateral ceasefire by continuing rocket attacks into southern Israel, Hamas on Sunday conceded by announcing an immediate ceasefire by its fighters and allied groups in the coastal enclave.

The 22-day-old Israeli Cast Lead Operation in Gaza left much of Hamas' military framework in rubbles, struck heavily at a maze of tunnels along the border with Egypt that allowed for the replenishment of arms, and saw the death of several of its high ranking officials.