Asked by reporters what the main obstacle was, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit said “Israeli intransigence,” adding: “Israel is drunk with power and violence.”
Abul Gheit also said that Cairo was “absolutely not bound” by the US-Israeli agreement on arms smuggling.
Clamping down on the porous Gaza-Egypt border, where hundreds of underground tunnels form Hamas' main supply route, has been a key Israeli demand for ending its offensive.
After signing the deal in Washington, Rice said she now hoped for a “ceasefire very, very soon” but could not promise one would be sealed in time for Tuesday, when US President George W. Bush hands power over to president-elect Barack Obama.
RSS