Lagonissi (Greece): Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak shook hands today at a rare meeting on the sidelines of a congress in Greece.

"I would like to salute the pragmatism of Mr Abbas, who wants to adopt with us a common strategy to contain terrorism," Barak said after the brief encounter in the Greek seaside town of Lagonissi.

Abbas, speaking at the Socialist International congress, called on Israel to end its "siege" of Jerusalem, act on Jewish settlements, and reduce military checkpoints that he said "destroy the lives of thousands of Palestinians."

Speaking to journalists, Barak blamed the Islamist Hamas movement that controls Gaza for "indiscriminate attacks on Israeli citizens saying, "If there is no peace, again it will be the responsibility of the Palestinians."

Under the Egyptian-mediated ceasefire that went into effect on June 19,Gaza militants were to halt their rocket and mortar attacks and Israeli troops would not carry out military strikes against the impoverished territory.

"Israelis expected naturally that the Gaza Strip would turn into a pilot (scheme), into an example of what could follow in the West Bank, and that there would be calm. And what eventually happened is that Hamas took over.

Now Gaza has turned into the headquarters of indiscriminate attacks against our citizens. Something that I don't believe any sovereign country, any of your governments would have accepted," Barak said.

Israel and the Palestinians revived negotiations toward resolving core problems - such as the status of Jerusalem, the borders of a future Palestinian state and refugees - at US-hosted talks last November.

Source : PTI