Egypt for talks with Israel on Gaza: Sarkozy

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak invited Israel "without delay" to discuss security on the Egypt-Gaza border, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said in Sharm el-Sheikh.

"President Mubarak invites the Israeli side without delay to come and discuss the matter of border security, without delay, and perhaps in the hours to come," Sarkozy said yesterday after talks with Mubarak.

The summit came after 10 days of an Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip aimed at ending the firing by Palestinian militants of rockets which Israel says enter Gaza via tunnels from Egypt.

Sarkozy, who on Monday began a whirlwind tour of the region, said he had spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert about Mubarak's initiative and that "he will react soon."

"I have very precise elements that allow me to say that an Israeli delegation will meet an Egyptian delegation to discuss the matter of security," Sarkozy said.

Mubarak said he proposed an immediate ceasefire that would allow for aid to reach the Gaza Strip, and Palestinian-Israeli talks.

Egypt "invites the Israelis and Palestinians for an urgent meeting to reach arrangements and guarantees that would not allow the repeat of the current escalation," he said.

The guarantees would include "securing the borders and... opening of the border crossings and lifting the siege," he said. He also invited Palestinian factions to resume reconciliation talks.