Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak held talks with visiting Palestinian National Authority (PNA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday morning on the situation in the Gaza Strip.

The two leaders discussed the Egyptian efforts to cement a unilateral ceasefire announced by Israel on late Saturday, said the Egyptian MENA news agency.

They also tackled means of implementing completely an Egyptian initiative that was presented by Mubarak on Jan. 6 calling for Gaza ceasefire.

Meanwhile, Egypt is in preparation for an international summit on the current crisis in Gaza, which would be attended by a number of European and Arab leaders as well as UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

The high-level consultative meeting called by Mubarak will discuss means of cementing the ceasefire and securing the pullout of Israeli forces from Gaza, said MENA.

On Saturday night, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert declared a unilateral ceasefire in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, beginning from 2 a.m. (0000 GMT) Sunday.

"We have reached all of our objectives in Gaza," said Olmert at a press conference in Tel Aviv, adding that Hamas has been dealt a heavy blow, and Hamas leaders are now in hiding.

But on Sunday morning, hours after the Israeli unilateral ceasefire went into effect, southern Israel was pounded by a number of rockets fired from Gaza and the Israeli army confirmed that it opened fire after Gazan militants attacked Israeli troops in the Palestinian enclave.

(Xinhua News Agency January 18, 2009)