Abbas to hand over Kerry proposal to end Gaza crisis

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will hand over to US Secretary of State John Kerry a proposal to end the Gaza crisis in the coming days, Palestinian lawmaker for Fatah Movement Abdullah Abdullah said Monday.

Abbas held consultations with the Palestinian leaders and factions as well as Egypt and Saudi Arabia, following which a set of options were reached at, MENA quoted Abdullah as telling the Washington-based Radio Sawa.

These options will be handed over to Kerry in the coming days and will likely end the Gaza crisis.

Abdullah, however, denied that the Palestinian proposal included any ideas of demilitarising Gaza Strip, asserting the Palestinians have the right to fight against occupation by all legitimate means.

Israel wants to eliminate all militants in the coastal enclave, mostly under Palestinian militant group Hamas, while the Hamas seeks end to Israeli occupation and removal of blockades in the conflict-torn Gaza Strip.

Egypt had called on Israel and the Palestinians to go for ceasefire indefinitely and immediately resume talks in Cairo to reach a permanent ceasefire agreement that ends the ongoing fighting in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Sunday said the military operation in Gaza will go on until Israel's security goals are reached.

Ahead of the weekly cabinet meeting held at Tel Aviv's Kirya military headquarters, Netanyahu said there will not be any immunity to those who fire at Israeli citizens.

Israel launched a ground and air offensive on the Gaza Strip July 8 to rein in Gaza militants and stop rockets being fired into Israel. At least 2,108 Palestinians and 68 Israelis were killed and more than 10,000 wounded so far.