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Egypt lays blame on Hamas

Cairo officially protests Gaza operation to Israeli ambassador, but Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit says Egypt warned Hamas this would be the case unless it stops Qassam attacks

The government in Cairo formally expressed its protest of the IDF operation in the Gaza Strip before the Israeli ambassador to Egypt. In the same breath, however, it made clear which party it holds responsible for the deterioration of the situation.

Egyptian Foreign Minister, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, said in a Cairo press conference that Egypt had long since warned Israel would respond in this manner, and added that those who did not heed the warning "should bear the responsibility."

He noted that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert warned Hamas as well. Earlier in the day Aboul Gheit said that Egypt had predicted this would be the play of events, "because Hamas did not stop firing rockets into Israel."

An official at the Egyptian foreign ministry told the ambassador that Egypt condemned the Israeli attacks. The ambassador blamed the Islamist movement Hamas and said Israel had not sought escalation, Egyptian state news agency MENA said.