Egypt denounces IDF airstrikes in Gaza

Egypt's foreign minister on Sunday condemned recent IDF raids against Palestinian terror organizations and suggested they instead should focus on returning to peace negotiations. Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said the airstrikes in the Gaza Strip - which have killed at least 17 Palestinians since Friday - were a violation of international conventions. "The time has come for the Israeli leaders to realize that by negotiations, and not violence, they will restore peace and security to Israelis," Aboul Gheit said in a statement issued by his office after a meeting with the Palestinians' top Muslim clergyman, Mufti Ikrema Sabri.