Monday, Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, stated that he is willing to mediate in truce effort between the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, in the Gaza Strip and Israel. The Palestinian News Agency, WAFA, reported that Abbas said that he renewed his offer and readiness to negotiate truce and calm with Israel in order to spare the lives of the Palestinians and to avoid more suffering.
Abbas also called on the Israeli government to accept his initiative to achieve calm in the region.
The statements of Abbas came after Israel carried a large scale military offensive in the Gaza Strip and after the Israeli army pulled out of Gaza on Monday at dawn leaving more than 116 Palestinians dead and more than 350 injured. 25% of the casualties were injured.
Israel officially acknowledged two fatalities among its troops.
Several resistance factions in the Gaza Strip intensified the firing of homemade shells into adjacent Israel towns in retaliation to the military offensive.
The Israeli offensive included a series of air strike, shelling, and a large ground offensive into the coastal region. Civilians house and facilities were repeatedly targeted which increased the number of civilian deaths, including children and women.
