Qassam fire continues
Photo: Amir Cohen
Abbas urges Hamas to end Qassam fire
PA president calls on Hamas and other factions to put a stop to 'pointless and needless' rocket attacks against Israel. Visiting EU foreign policy chief Solana meets with Abbas, calls for Israelis, Palestinians to stop violence
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas demanded Hamas and other groups halt firing at Israeli towns immediately so he could negotiate a wider truce with the Jewish state.
Abbas told a news conference in Gaza the rocket shootings were "pointless and needless, they must be stopped." He said that faction heads had agreed to study his proposal.
Solana and Abbas meet (Photo: AFP)
Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said Israel's actions showed any ceasefire call by Abbas was "worthless".
Meanwhile, visiting EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana met Abbas in Gaza Thursday and called for Palestinians and Israelis to stop the violence.
"The rockets and the Israeli response have to stop," he told reporters after the meeting.
Hamas vows to continue attacks
Israeli forces seized a Palestinian cabinet minister and 32 other officials in the West Bank on Thursday, stepping up a campaign against Hamas Islamists.The move prompted renewed threats from Hamas, who said they would continue to attack Israel with rocket fire.
"Our strikes against the enemy will continue, we have freed the hand of all our cells to strike the enemy everywhere in Palestine," the Hamas armed wing said in a statement.
