Olmert in talks offer to Abbas

As Palestinians rage over the deaths of 18 people in an Israeli attack in Gaza, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has reportedly offered to meet President Mahmoud Abbas. In a television interview, Olmert apologised for the shelling which he said was caused by a “technical error”. He repeated previous offers of talks, saying there would be no preconditions.

The killings have re-united feuding Palestinian militants and brought together the moderate Abbas and Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas. They have been at odds over a proposal to create a unity government. But some Hamas leaders have called for renewed suicide attacks on Israel in retaliation for the raid.

Tens of thosuands of people attended the funerals of the victims, most of whom were women and children. They were killed when an Israeli tank shell hit their homes in Beit Hanoun.

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