Opposition says Mubarak blessed Israeli attacks

[ Image From Al Dostor NYTimes: "Al Dostor, one of the most outspoken opposition newspapers in Egypt, ran on its home page a photo-montage, with images of the bloodshed in Gaza placed on top of a picture taken in Cairo last week of the Egyptian foreign minister, Ahmed Abu Gheit, and his Israeli counterpart, Tzipi Livni. The central photo, which shows the two diplomats hand in hand, apparently was chosen to convey the idea that Israeli the attacks on Hamas, the militant Palestinian group that controls Gaza, were mounted with at least tacit Egyptian support, a charge the Egyptian regime has denied." ]

"The decision to strike at Gaza was made in Cairo following talks between Ahmad Abul Geit [Egypt's foreign minister] and Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni," said Islamist MP Hussain Ebrahim.

Livni visited Cairo on Thursday, where she vowed to stop Hamas from firing rockets at Israeli towns.

"The threats declared by Livni in Cairo against our Palestinian brethren in Gaza are a stigma for the Egyptian regime," said Sayed Abdul Gani, the secretary General of the Nasserist Lawyers. "These statements confirm that this regime is a partner in the aggression on Gaza," he told Gulf News.

Egypt, which was the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel in 1979, on Saturday summoned the Israeli ambassador "to express total rejection of aggression on Gaza and demand an immediate halt" to the attacks.

Meanwhile, Mubarak ordered the opening of the Rafah border crossing with Gaza to allow the injured Palestinians to be treated in Egypt.

Egyptian officials, however, implicitly blamed Hamas for the escalation of violence. "The non-response of the Israeli and Palestinian sides to the Egyptian efforts will not affect [Egypt's] resolve to continue these efforts," a presidential statement said.

Hamas has been the target of scathing criticisms in Egypt's state-run media over recent weeks. Egypt has been unsuccessfully trying to renew an Israeli-Hamas truce, which expired on December 19.