Mahmoud Abbas says holds fast to Egypt's Gaza initiative

"The Palestinian leadership will not accept any alternative to the Egyptian initiative for suspending the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip," Abbas added in a cabinet meeting in Ramallah. He described the enormity of the Israeli offensive on Gaza as "unparalleled". Abbas said the Palestinian delegation would leave to the Egyptian capital Cairo late on Saturday to resume indirect talks with the Israelis on a durable ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The Palestinians and the Israelis are due to resume indirect talks on a long-term ceasefire in Gaza in the Egyptian capital Cairo on Sunday. The talks follow more than a month of Israeli attacks on the Palestinian territory, attacks that had left 1961 Palestinians dead and more than 10,000 others injured. About 64 Israeli troops were also killed in Gaza combat, while three civilians were killed by rockets fired from the Gaza Strip, according to Israeli data.