Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday stated peace efforts with Israel must move forward despite a spate of violence in the past week. Abbas also reiterated his support for Egypt's efforts to mediate a truce between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
"Despite all the circumstances we're living through and all the attacks we're experiencing, we insist on peace. There is no other path," Abbas said in a speech marking International Women's Day.
Earlier this week, Abbas suspended the talks to protest an Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip that killed more than 120 Palestinians. In his speech Saturday, Abbas called for a "calm" in Gaza and reiterated his support for the Egyptian efforts. "These brutal attacks (in Gaza) must stop and these rockets must stop, and Gaza's border crossings must open, all of them," he said.
According to the AP, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said peace talks are set to resume on Thursday with the arrival of U.S. Lt. Gen. William Fraser III for a joint meeting with Israelis and Palestinians.
