Abbas calls for Palestinian, Israeli truce

RAMALLAH, West Bank, March 8 (UPI) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called Saturday for an end to Israeli attacks on Gaza and Hamas rocket strikes into Israel.

Addressing Palestinian women marking International Women's Day, Abbas also said reopening the Rafah checkpoint between Gaza and Egypt would help the peace process, the Kuwaiti news agency KUNA reported. He said both sides must agree to a truce in spite of the recent violence, which includes the shooting of eight students at a Jerusalem yeshiva by a Palestinian gunman.

After his speech, Abbas left for a three-day trip to Amman, where he will discuss his recent meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and King Abdullah II's visit to Washington with Jordanian leaders.

From Jordan, Abbas travels to Senegal for the Organization of the Islamic Conference summit in Dakar.