RAMALLAH, West Bank (AFP) — Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas will meet French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Ramallah on Monday before going to the United Nations to plead for a truce in Gaza, officials said.
"President Mahmud Abbas will meet with President Sarkozy and the EU troika delegation on Monday in Ramallah," Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat told AFP.
"He will then immediately go to New York, where he will make a speech before the UN Security Council to ask for a halt to the Israeli attack against Gaza," he said. It was not immediately known when Abbas would address the council.
Yasser Abed Rabbo, secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, said Sarkozy was "carrying an important initiative for a ceasefire."
"President Abbas hopes that Sarkozy's initiatve will be successful and will stop the killing of Palestinians in Gaza," he added.
A massive offensive by Israel against Hamas, now into its second week, has killed at least 442 Palestinians, including 75 children. In the same period, rockets fired from Gaza have killed four people and wounded dozens in Israel.
An EU delegation headed by Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg is set to visit the Middle East on Sunday to discuss ceasefire efforts.
The other members are Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt and his French counterpart Bernard Kouchner.
The Czech Republic on Thursday took over the presidency of the European Union from France. EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and external affairs commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner will accompany the three foreign ministers.
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