Israel and President Mahmoud Abbas

President Mahmoud Abbas: With Israeli and U.S. encouragement, Egypt has tried to get both sides to hold fire and then negotiate terms for protracted calm in the Palestinian enclave where officials said 624 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in 15 days of fighting. On mobile? Follow the story here Airlines cancel flights to Israel, citing rocket fire , according to CBC. In a move that could effectively turn Abbas into the main interlocutor for a Gaza truce, his umbrella Palestine Liberation Organization PLO on Wednesday formally supported core conditions set by the Hamas-led fighters. The Palestinian decision-making body led by U.S.-backed President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday endorsed demands by Hamas for halting Gaza hostilities with Israel, a closing of ranks that may help Egyptian-mediated truce efforts. Hamas, the Gaza Strip dominant Islamists, and other armed factions had balked at Cairo offer, saying they wanted assurances of relief from an Israeli-Egyptian blockade and other concessions. The dispute was further complicated by distrust between Egypt under President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Hamas. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.