Egypt Cries 'Murder' Over Gaza Attacks

Egypt called Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip "murder" today as world leaders appealed for peace in the region, the AFP and Jerusalem Post report. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said he was "deeply alarmed" by the violence, and, like Russia and the European Union, called for a ceasefire. Egypt opened its border checkpoint to allow care for injured Gazans, whose numbers have topped 400.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met today with Saudi king Abdullah, who criticized the attacks. Abbas asked him “to intercede urgently with active international parties, especially the United States," a Palestinian source told AFP. The BBC reports that British PM Gordon Brown said he was “deeply concerned by continuing missile strikes from Gaza on Israel and by Israel's response today. In the end, the only progress will be political progress.” (More Israel and Palestinians stories.)