Скачать или смотреть Morsi hints at possible ceasefire, but says no guarantees

(18 Nov 2012)
1. Wide exterior of Egyptian presidential palace ++NIGHT SHOT++
2. Various of Egyptian president, Mohammed Morsi, meeting Turkish prime minister Tayyip Erdogan and other officials
3. Cutaway of media
4. Wide of Morsi and Erdogan at news conference
5. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Mohammed Morsi, President of Egypt:
"There are some indications that there could be a possible ceasefire soon, but we still do not have guarantees."
6. Cutaway of media
7. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Mohammed Morsi, President of Egypt:
"If a ground invasion takes place, as Israelis are saying, this will have serious repercussions for the region. We will never accept this and neither will the free world.''
8. Cutaway of media
9. SOUNDBITE: (Turkish) Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister of Turkey:
++PART OF SOUNDBITE INCLUDES ARABIC TRANSLATION++
"I hope that a ceasefire could be achieved quickly in Gaza and if the major force (the US) gets involved again in protecting Israel by turning a blind eye to what is happening, then humanity will never forgive it."
10. Wide of news conference
STORYLINE:
Israel destroyed the headquarters of Hamas' prime minister and blasted a sprawling network of smuggling tunnels in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday, broadening a blistering four-day-old offensive against the Islamic militant group even as diplomatic efforts to broker a ceasefire appeared to be gaining steam.
In neighbouring Egypt, President Mohammed Morsi hosted leaders from Hamas and two key allies, Qatar and Turkey, to seek a way to end the fighting.
"There are some indications that there could be a possible ceasefire soon, but we still do not have guarantees," Morsi told reporters at a news conference in Cairo late on Saturday.
Egypt, which is led by Hamas' parent movement, the Muslim Brotherhood, has been spearheading efforts to forge a ceasefire.
Morsi has vowed to stand strong with the people of Gaza and this week recalled Cairo's ambassador from Israel to protest the offensive.
Quietly, though, non-Muslim Brotherhood members in Morsi's government are said to be pushing Hamas to end its rocket fire on Israel.
Morsi is under pressure not to go too far and risk straining ties with Israel's ally, the United States.
Israel launched its offensive on Wednesday in what it said was an effort to end months of rocket fire out of the Hamas-ruled territory.
It began the operation with an unexpected air strike that killed Hamas' powerful military chief, and since then has relentlessly targeted suspected rocket launchers
and storage sites.
In all, 46 Palestinians, including 15 civilians, have been killed and more than 400 civilians wounded, according to medical officials.
Three Israeli civilians have been killed and more than 50 wounded.
Israel has also vowed to stage a ground invasion, a scenario that would bring the scale of fighting closer to that of a war four years ago.
Hamas was badly bruised during that conflict but has since restocked its arsenal with more and better weapons.
Morsi said on Saturday that any such invasion would have "serious repercussions" for the region.
"We will never accept this and neither will the free world," Morsi added.
Speaking alongside Morsi, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he hoped that a ceasefire could be achieved "quickly" in Gaza.
"If the major force (the US) gets involved again in protecting Israel by turning a blind eye to what is happening then humanity will never forgive it," he continued.

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