Ending Gaza blockade is goal: Hamas leader

Palestinians search for survivors under the rubble of a house destroyed by an Israeli missile strike, in Gaza City, Monday. Photo: AP

The top Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip signaled Monday that the Islamic militant group will not agree to an unconditional cease-fire with Israel, saying that the aim of the current battle is to break a 7-year-old blockade of the Palestinian territory.

Ismail Haniyeh's comments came as UN chief Ban Ki-moon and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry headed to Cairo for the highest-level cease-fire efforts since Israel-Hamas fighting erupted July 8.

More than 540 Palestinians and 20 Israelis have been killed in the past two weeks of fighting.

Last week, Egypt called for an unconditional cease-fire, to be followed by talks on easing the closure of Gaza. Israel accepted the proposal at the time, but Hamas rejected it, saying it wants guarantees first on lifting the closure.

The blockade was imposed by Israel and Egypt after Hamas overran Gaza in 2007. Over the past year, Egypt has further tightened restrictions, driving Hamas into a deep financial crisis.

Haniyeh said in a televised speech Monday that "we cannot go back, we cannot go back to the silent death" of the blockade.

He said all of Gaza's 1.7 million residents shared this demand.

"Gaza has decided to end the blockade by its blood and by its courage," he said. "This siege, this unjust siege, must be lifted."