Egypt accuses Hamas of adventurism, as Arab leaders seek common stance on Gaza

Egypt's ruling party accused the Hamas on Wednesday of adventurism, irresponsibility and ignoring Egyptian advice on Gaza.

The National Democratic Party (NDP) said in a statement that Egypt was the victim of an organized campaign by Hamas and its regional allies - Iran, Syria and the Lebanese group Hezbollah.

Iran and Hezbollah have criticized Egypt for failing to open its border with Gaza, in effect cooperating with the Israeli blockade of the impoverished coastal strip.

"(The party) notes that the leadership of Hamas is responsible for the turn that events have taken (in Gaza)," said the NDP secretariat. The statement also condemned Israeli raids which have killed almost 400 people in Gaza.

"The Hamas movement has thwarted all attempts to achieve Palestinian national unity and has not accepted repeated Egyptian advice on the importance of maintaining the truce (with Israel)," the NDP statement added.

"Instead, it has dealt with the situation in a spirit of adventurism and irresponsibility, without taking into account the consequences of its positions," it said.

"The Hamas leadership has been dragged behind delusional promises by parties and quarters who have contributed to the Palestinian cause only words and slogans," it added.

The statement went beyond criticism of Hamas by the government, which has said that it gave repeated warnings before Israel attacked last Saturday and that those who ignore warnings have only themselves to blame for the consequences.

The NDP, led by President Hosni Mubarak, usually takes its lead from the government but it sometimes has more freedom to express official views than government ministers.

The Egyptian government is on the defensive because the Israeli attacks on Gaza have put the spotlight on its policy of cooperating with the Israeli blockade.

Egypt says it has no choice and if it opened the border fully Israel would wash its hands of responsibility for Gaza.

"Egypt will not get involved in adventures or take decisions with ill-considered consequences," the NDP said. "It will not follow the appeals and delusions of the reckless."

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit has attacked Iran and the Lebanese Shi'ite Muslim group Hezbollah this week for their criticism of Egyptian policy on Gaza.

Arab leaders blame Israel's Gaza offensive on Palestinian dischord

Arab foreign ministers met in Cairo on Wednesday to seek a common position in response to Israeli attacks which have killed 385 people in Gaza.

The Arab world is deeply divided in its attitude towards the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, which controls Gaza and is the main target of the Israeli assault.

Some Arab governments, including Egypt and the Palestinian Authority, say Hamas shares the blame for the attacks, while demonstrators across the region have called on Egypt to stop cooperating with the Israeli blockade of the coastal strip.

Saudi Arabia told the opening session at Arab League headquarters in Cairo that the Israeli attacks on Gaza would not have happened if Palestinians had been united.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal, the chairman of the meeting, said Palestinian groups should hold a "decisive meeting that would result in a national unity government."

"This terrible massacre would not have happened if the Palestinian people was standing united behind one leadership," he said. "Your [Palestinian] Arab brothers cannot extend to you the hand of real help if you do not extend the hand of affection to each other," he added.

Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa said Arabs should take the Israeli attacks to the UN Security Council, even at a risk that a resolution would face a veto from one of the five permanent members of the council.

"Everyone is watching as the intensity of Arab-Arab disputes increase unacceptably ... We must unite our ranks and everyone must stop pouring oil on the fire," he added.

The most visible sign of division has been the war of words between Egypt and the Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah, which said that Egyptians should come out on the streets.

In reply, Egypt mocked the military record of Hezbollah, which in 2006 held its own for 34 days against an Israeli invasion of south Lebanon.

The Arab governments have also been unable to agree on whether to hold an Arab summit. Syria and Qatar are in favor, but Egypt and Saudi Arabia think a summit should wait, Arab diplomatic sources said.

The Palestinian Authority's ambassador to the Arab League, Nabil Amr, called for direct talks between Palestinian factions and for a UN Security Council ceasefire resolution.

Iran tells Arab League: Time has come to act over Gaza attacks

Meanwhile, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told the Arab League before its meeting on Wednesday it must act quickly to end Israeli attacks on Gaza Palestinians adding that setting up a committee or making speeches was not enough.

But Ahmadinejad did not suggest any specific action by Arab states, some of which had been criticized by non-Arab Iran for not doing enough to help protect Palestinians after more than 380 had been killed.

"If the Arab League does not want to do anything today, when does it want to act?" the president told a rally in Zahedan in southeast Iran.

"Aren't these oppressed Palestinians Arabs? So when should the capacity of the Arab League be used? The Arab League should act quickly," he said in a speech broadcast on state television.

He added that setting up a committee and making speeches was not adequate and would allow Israel to continue its actions.

Egypt, which shares a border with Gaza, has often been singled out for criticism by Iranian protesters for not doing more to help Palestinians. Egypt, which has a peace treaty with Israel, and Iran, which does not recognise Israel, do not have full diplomatic ties.

Ahmadinejad also criticised the United Nations, which the Iranian president has often accused of being in the control of big powers like the United States and its allies.

"To which nations does this United Nations belong? This (UN) Security Council is for the security of which part of the world?" he said. "Why don't you issue resolutions?... Why don't you even frown upon the Zionist regime (Israel)?"

The Islamic Republic is also embroiled in a row with the UN Security Council over its nuclear program.

The Security Council has imposed three sets of sanctions on Tehran for not halting nuclear work the West says is aimed at building bombs. Iran says its nuclear activities are peaceful.

The Gaza attacks has prompted several protests by students.

A group of students broke into a British embassy residential compound in north Tehran on Tuesday, and an Iranian news agency said they planted a Palestinian flag. Britain's Foreign Office said all staff were safe and accounted for.