Sharm el-Sheikh - Egypt on Tuesday announced its proposal for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, to be followed by meetings to end the blockade of Gaza.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak announced the proposal during a press briefing with his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy after their talks late Tuesday at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

Sarkozy started a Middle East tour on Monday to confer with Arab leaders on ways to stop the Israeli offensive in Gaza, which started December 27 and has so far killed more than 580 Palestinians and wounded 2,600.

The French president returned to Sharm el-Sheikh on Tuesday after a brief visit to Lebanon, which was unscheduled.

"The main aim of the meeting between both sides is that Israel would understand that these attacks do not guarantee their security," said Sarkozy.

"Today I announce Egypt's proposal to contain the situation that consists of three elements. First, Israel and the Palestinian factions must accept an immediate ceasefire so that aid would reach the civilians," said Mubarak.

The second element was Egypt's invitation to the Israelis and Palestinians for an urgent meeting to ensure that a similar conflict does not recur. The discussions would also deal with the causes that led to the most recent conflict, including protecting the border, reopening crossing points and lifting the blockade.

"Thirdly, Egypt renews its invitation to the Palestinians for all factions, including Hamas and its rival Fatah, for reconciliation talks," added Mubarak.

Egypt, which brokered a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that ended December 19, has been a key player in mediating between Hamas, rival Palestinian faction Fatah and Israel.

Reconciliation talks between Hamas and Fatah had been scheduled to take place in Cairo in early November but were cancelled at the last minute after Hamas announced a boycott.

Earlier on Tuesday, Hamas spokesman Osama Hamdan told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa that his group will not accept a ceasefire with Israel unless all aggression against the Gaza Strip is halted.

A Hamas delegation arrived late Monday in Cairo to hold the first round of talks since the launch of Israeli military action in Gaza last month. (dpa)