Egypt condemned Israeli raids which killed more than 140 people in Gaza on Saturday and said it would keep trying to restore a truce between Israel and Gaza. A presidential statement quoted by the state news agency MENA said Egypt held Israel responsible for the deaths and injuries that result from the raids. "Egypt condemns the Israeli military attacks," the agency added.
"Egypt will continue its contacts to prepare an atmosphere conducive to restoring the period of calm and achieving reconciliation between the Palestinian groups," it said. It said Egypt had tried to warn Israel of the grave consequence of attacking Gaza and had called on Palestinian groups to extend a truce which expired just over a week ago.
Egypt called publicly for restraint by both sides on Thursday when Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni came to Cairo for talks with President Hosni Mubarak. The presidential statement said Mubarak had given orders that the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt open for Palestinian casualties and that Egyptian medical facilities be available to all victims of the Israeli raids.