situation in Gaza and his proposal for a ceasefire.
Upon arrival in Beirut , Sarkozy immediately went to the Baabda Republican palace to meet with Lebanese president Michel Suleiman
Prior to departing from Damascus, he held a joint press conference with Syrian president Bashar al Assad during which he told reporters:
"There is no military solution in Gaza... Violence should stop as soon as possible... There should be pressure on all active factions to reach ceasefire including Hamas... Syria can pressure Hamas to reach ceasefire. We should have confidence in the wisdom of this region’s leaders ."
He added : "EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and I are heading to Beirut and we hope to launch the peace process. Israel should have guarantees that no more rockets will be fired and at the same time the Palestinians have the right to be protected."
On his part Assad called for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the Gaza siege and added that Syria is still determined to hold an urgent Arab Summit in order to stop the war.
Sarkozy has a four point plan for peace that calls for the following :
1- immediate ceasefire
2- return to the truce
3- opening the crossings between Gaza and Israel
4- providing international observers to observe the implementation of the ceasefire and to report any violations
At least 575 Palestinians have been killed and another 2780 wounded in Gaza .Backed by fire from air, sea and land, Israeli troops and tanks continued to push deeper into Gaza on Monday after rebuffing diplomatic efforts to end the assault which was described as a holocaust by the Palestinians of Gaza. According to al-Arabiya 12 people from the same family were killed in Israeli shelling
Israel has been having several casualties too, but the exact number has not been independently verified , since Israel has been very slow in confirming the details. Al-Qassam Brigades claimed that 21 Israeli soldiers killed since the invasion of Gaza, including assistant commander of Golani Brigade.
Wednesday
3:56 Arab diplomats told Al Arabiyeh : There is no resolution to end the war in Gaza
3:52 The UN security council adjourns its meeting on Gaza till tomorrow
3:40 Qatar foreign Minister : It is inevitable that the occupation should end in order to restore calm
3:34 Moroccan Foreign Minister: We call upon the Security Council to respond positively to the Arab draft resolution on Gaza
3:33 Israeli ambassador to the United Nations: We are taking the Egyptian initiative seriously
3:30 A Palestinian was killed in Israeli raid in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza
3:30 Lebanese Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh: each additional minute we see more innocent victims in Gaza. Israel's aggression has not started 11 days ago, but since the beginning of the occupation dozens of years ago. Israel cannot achieve any security by using blockades and brutal force. There must be an immediate cease-fire , Israel should withdraw and the lift the blockade
3:15 Jordanian Foreign Minister Salah Eddin Bashir: Jordan denounce the Israeli aggression and demands that the Security Council to shoulder its responsibilities and stop the war. Israel will not achieve any peace by killing innocent people in Gaza
3:05 Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit: Does the security council want more deaths before it decides to stop the aggression . Informed the Security Council on the Egyptian vision on how to get out of the crisis . The real objective is to establish an independent Palestinian state
02:50 Arab League Chief Amr Moussa: It is time to stop the Israeli aggression and siege. The whole is the Israeli occupation and the people want freedom from this occupation. The Arab League is for the protection of all civilians, Palestinians and Israelis. Lets not havea repeat of what has happened in Lebanon
2:31 Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal: Israel is responsible for the deterioration of the situation in Gaza. Israel has dealt with the people of Gaza without any human conscience. There must be a ceasefire and the opening of the crossings
2:30 Russian Ambassador: We support the Franco-Egyptian initiative for a ceasefire. We call for the cessation of violence in Gaza
2:14 Turkish PM Erdogan: Israel's aggression against the people of Gaza is a black point in the history of humanity
1:24 Libyan Foreign Minister Abdel Rahman Shalgam: Israel bombed the Gaza Strip after months of full blockade. Israel is only interested in the seizure of more Palestinian land and is not interested in peace. The Palestinian response to Israeli blockade and attacks was natural
1:10 The Security Council is meeting to consider the draft Arab resolution for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip
00:05 Future TV: Israel is bombing the underground Tunnels in Gaza
Tuesday
23:05 Minister Mitri told Future TV: there is a Lebanese consensus on maintaining security in Lebanon . This consensus also calls for caution in order not to fall into the Israeli trap .... since Israel continues to create excuses to involve Lebanon in the war .
21:55 protesters burnt tires on the Qubaiaat - Halba road to protest against electricity power cuts
22:52 Al Jazeera: Venezuela has decided to expel the Israeli ambassador in protest against the Israeli Gaza Strip offensive
22:46 Hamas: The Arab peace initiative is worthy of consideration.
22:24 Sarkozy and Mubarak announced their initiative to end the war in Gaza . The initiative calls for immediate ceasefire by both parties . Muarak said he will call both parties for special talks over the future relations. Mubarak urged all the Palestinians to respond positively to the reconciliation effort of the Palestinian authorities . Sarkozy confirmed that their initiative calls for an end to the rocket attacks by Hamas
21:06 US President-Elect Barack Obama Tuesday vowed to speak out about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict once he takes office, but insisted until then, only President George W. Bush spoke for the US stressing " One president at a time "
21;03 The UN demanded on Tuesday an investigation into deadly attacks near UN-run schools ( UNRWA) and into other civilian deaths in the Israeli onslaught on the Hamas-run Palestinian enclave.
20: 59 Hezbollah's Nasrallah : Some Arab regimes are trying to hurt the Palestinian resistance and its leaders . The same thing happened during the 2006 July war. Some Arab leaders are trying to hold Hamas responsible of the war, as they did to us during the 2006 War through the unjust UN Resolution 1701. The real aim of the war on Gaza is to strip the Resistance of its decision making power.
20:55 Al Qaeda's second in command Ayman al Zawahiri: The attack against Gaza is part of the Crusade war against Islam
20:44 The roads in the Taabaneh district of Tripoli were closed by protesters who protested against the power blackouts. They hurled stones at the army and attacked a Future TV photographer
20:21 Israeli army announced that six Israeli soldiers were killed and 60 others were injured since the beginning of its ground offensive on Gaza.
20: 17 Israeli army : we fired at gunmen at the UNRWA school
20:15 Muslim brotherhood in Egypt declares that it is ready to send 10, 000 volunteers to Gaza
20:11 Egypt denied making any statements preventing Hamas from victory in the war
20:00 President Suleiman and Solana discussed the situation in Gaza and the region . Solana later met with PM Siniora in an office at the Baabda palace
19:52 Iran considers any agreement to resolve the dispute between the Islamic movements and Israel will be catastrophic for its strategy in the region
19:42 Obama said he is concerned over the death of civilians in both Gaza and Israel
19:10 Hamas representative in Lebanon Osama Hamdan said the European delegation that is visiting the region should "forget about the deployment of international troops in Gaza Strip, because we have a bitter experience with that."
19:00 pm: French President Sarkozy concluded his visit to Lebanon and left to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
18:10 Future TV: Israeli army breaks into homes at Al-Shujaiyah.
18:01 Israeli Army Command says one Israeli soldier is killed north of Gaza City and four others are injured.
17:34 Palestinian Gaza death toll has reached 635. Another 2,900 people were wounded, the Gaza emergency services chief said. The toll shot up after Israeli forces attacked three schools, killing at least 45 people.
17:33 The Egyptian negotiator is urging the Damascus based Hamas leaders to accept " truce" as a condition to ending the Gaza violence
17:28 The Lebanese army units deployed around the camp of the Popular Front for Libation of Palestine - General Command ( PFLP-GC ) in Deir el-Ghazal - Qusaya ( near the Syrian borders), after the news of extensive movements of the gunmen. The leader of PFLP Ahmad Jibril , who is based in Damascus has threatened to open another front against Israel
17:19 Unidentified attackers attacked a synagogue in the French city of Toulouse with a car loaded with a Molotov cocktail, causing no injuries.
17:05 : President Sarkozy addressed the French troops working with UNIFIL: "Be proud of the work you do here... I know that you have been away from your families but you chose this profession to show the world what you can do... France has a capable army and enjoys diplomatic capabilities... We must form the military of the future."
17:00 Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek denied on Tuesday that the current EU president had a "plan" for a truce in the Gaza conflict, saying he simply had a scenario for talks to open border crossings. "I read in the newspapers today that we have launched a plan for peace. I never said anything of the sort," Topolanek said
16:50 About 40 Palestinians killed by Israeli air strikes near the UNRWA school in Jabalaya according to latest information
16:44 Sarkozy arrived at the command center of the French forces in south Lebanon
16:19 US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is to go to New York on Tuesday to consult with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and others to "further efforts" on a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel.
15:35 Future TV: The death toll of the Palestinians has reach 591
15:30 Sarkozy headed to south Lebanon to meet with the French UNIFIL forces
15:27 Sarkozy from Baavda: France wants a sovereign, free and independent Lebanon and we hope the upcoming elections will be on time and transparent
15:25 Ghanem : Holding the elections in one day will be a major accomplishment in reforms
15:13 Official Egyptian sources: Sarkozy will return to Cairo after concluding his ME trip
14:37 Al-Qassam Brigades announce 21 Israeli soldiers killed during its retaliatory missions in Gaza, including assistant commander of Golani Brigade.
14:35 al Qassem brigades said one of its suicide attackers jumped into an Israeli tank and blew himself up and killed all the soldiers inside كتائب القسام تعلن
14:21 French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrives at the Baabda Presidential Palace.
13:45 French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived in Lebanon coming from Syria on the last leg of a Mideast tour trying to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza
13:00 13,000 Lebanese kids staged a sit-in protest outside ESCWA headquarters in Beirut in solidarity with Gaza children.
12:48 Al-Arabiya reports Israel forbids Hamas delegation from going from Gaza to Egypt in order to discuss the crisis.
12:23 Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said during a joint press conference with Nicolas Sarkozy in Damascus: We call for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the Gaza siege. Syria is still determined to hold an urgent Arab Summit in order to stop the war.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy said : there is no military solution in Gaza… Violence should stop as soon as possible. there should be pressure on all active factions to reach ceasefire including Hamas. Syria can pressure Hamas to reach ceasefire. We should have confidence in the wisdom of this region’s leaders .EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and I are heading to Beirut and we hope to launch the peace process. Israel should have guarantees that no more rockets will be fired and at the same time the Palestinians have the right to be protected.
12:14 Olmert rejects EU request for humanitarian 48-hour truce, reports Haaretz.
12:13 Palestinian Health Ministry official says death toll in Gaza reaches 582.
12: Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir to a college delegation: Our catastrophe seems less painful than others when we look at what is going on around us.
11:41 IDF arrests Palestinian MPs Abdel Qader Fakaha and Farhat Asaad in Ramallah, also arresting Head of Al-Bireh municipality Jamal al-Tawil.
11:22 New TV reports Israeli warplanes conduct low flights over Saida and Nabatiyeh in South Lebanon.
11:10 Hamas rockets go deepest yet into Israel
11:00 Israel army reports IDF paratrooper officer killed overnight during clashes with Hamas fighters in the Gaza Strip.
11:00 Israeli warplanes violate Lebanese airspace.
10:55 French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrives in Damascus seeking Gaza ceasefire.
10:45 IDF officer killed in Gaza ground operation, according to Haaretz.
10:39 Israel Radio reports six missiles are launched on Ashkelon and Beersheba.
10:16 Palestinian Health Ministry official says toll of death reaches 575 and 2780 wounded in the Israeli offensive on Gaza.
09:10 Israel claims 130 Hamas fighters killed in Gaza since ground offensive launched
07:59 Qabbani says Lebanese do not want to give Israel an excuse to attack Lebanon
07:24 Heavy artillery shelling targets several regions of the Gaza Strip following an incursion of Israeli tanks before dawn in Khan Younes.
06:15 Interior minister Baroud : we are working day and night to complete the logistics for doing the elections in one day and on time
05:55 Hezbollah's Nasrallah: It is a miracle that the people of Gaza have been able to resist until today
05:51 Sarkozy will brief president Suleiman on the results of his trip to Egypt, Israel, West Bank and Syria when he meets him today and will talk about the internal situation
05:34 Diplomatic sources: Syria is is trying to find a solution for the Gaza war
05:15 Sarkozy will meet all the three Lebanese leaders during his short visit to lebanon this afternoon
3:04 Aljazeera : According to Reuters The Israeli Army has confessed that 3 of its soldiers were killed and 4 wounded in Gazza battles
2:58 MP Zahra told Future TV; The march 14 candidates will certainly be the winners in the Batroun elections
2:39 Future TV : First contacts between Cairo and Tehran since the beginning of the Gaza assault
1:59 Diplomatic sources: Sarkozy will head to south Lebanon following his meeting with president Suleiman to address the French UNIFIL forces
1:23 UNIFIL intelligence sources have confirmed that Palestinian elements loyal to Iran and Syria have taken up positions at the old but modernized Hezbollah posts in south Lebanon
0:04 Al Arabiyeh : The UN Security council is expected to issue a resolution on Wednesday regarding Gaza ceasefire
0:03 The UN Security council is discussing the Arab draft for a ceasefire resolution in Gaza
Monday
23: 50 Jumblatt after meeting Arslan: " If the Israelis did not learn any lessons from the 2006 war then they must be stupid . " He criticized the world community for not issuing any UNSC ceasefire resolution despite the massacres that are taking place in Gaza
23:46 Al Arabiyeh: Ayman Taha and Jamal abul Hashem have joined the Hamas delegation that is visiting Cairo
23:29 Israel is trying to postpone the Security Council meeting and is promoting an American proposal for Gaza ceasefire
23:28 Al Qassem brigades claims that it downed an unmanned Israeli reconnaissance aircraft over Rafah
23:02 Al Jazeera : 3 Israeli soldiers killed and 30 wounded inside a house in Beit Lahia
22:59 Al Jazeera : 4 Palestinians killed and 16 wounded in refugee camp in center of Gaza
22:58 Al Arabiyeh - The death toll of Israeli soldiers killed today has reached 4
22:53 Sarkozy is meeting Ehud Olmert , PM of Israel in Jerusalem
22:46 al Qassem brigades claim they downed one Israeli unmanned aircraft in Gaza
22:39 Al Arabiyeh : 2 Israeli soldiers killed and 20 wounded in East Gaza fighting
22:20 hezbollah's Nasrallah: The resistance n Gaza is very strong . Israel so far only succeeded in killing Women and children
22:18 Israeli minister of infrastructure Benyamin Bin Elyzar : The Hamas fighters are hiding and are disguised in Nurses ' costumes
22:18 Hamas considered Sarkozy's statements completely biased in favor of Israel
22:07 The Israeli forces have detained tens of Palestinians
.
22:01 Jumblatt and Arslan are currently meeting in Khaldeh in the presence key offials from both parties ( PSP and Lebanese Democratic party ) they discussed current development including situation in Gaza
21:01 Israel arrests Khodr Shaheen , World Channel correspondent in Jerusalem
20:42 French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived in Israel and is meeting Israeli President Shimon Peres in Tel-Aviv.
Tags: Gaza, Israel, Lebanon, Palestinians, Sarkozy, Syria
