ANKARA, Dec 31 (Reuters) - Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan flew to Syria on Wednesday as part of a four-country diplomatic push in the region to end hostilities between Israel and the Islamist group Hamas. Erdogan said he planned to meet Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus and would hold talks later on Wednesday with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Jordan's King Abdullah in the Red Sea resort of Aqaba. Erdogan, who described Israel's four-day offensive in the Gaza Strip as "merciless", said he also planned to meet Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Jan. 1 and Saudi King Abdullah in Riyadh on Jan. 3. Foreign powers have increased pressure on the two sides to end violence, which erupted after a six-month ceasefire expired on Dec. 19 and Hamas intensified rocket attacks from the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip. Medical officials put Palestinian casualties at 385 dead. Four Israelis have been killed. "Turkey is deeply concerned about the human tragedy in Gaza and the spreading of violence in the Middle East," Erdogan told a news conference in Ankara before kicking off his trip. "The aim of the regional tour which we are beginning today is to help in ending this dangerous development," he said. Al Arabiya television said Erdogan would meet Khaled Meshaal, the exiled Hamas leader living in Damascus, but Erdogan said he had no plan to meet Hamas officials in Damascus. An Erdogan aide told Reuters he was not aware of plans by other members of the delegation to meet Hamas leaders in Damascus. Abdullah Gul, now Turkey's president, met a Hamas delegation including Meshaal in Ankara in 2006, when Gul was foreign minister. Erdogan, whose country had mediated indirect peace talks between Israel and Syria before Damascus suspended them this week, criticised Israel for being "disrespectful" towards Turkish peace efforts. "We have fought for peace and our concern will continue to be for peace," he said. (Reporting by Ibon Villelabeitia, Editing by Matthew Tostevin)
A protester walks on U.S. and Israeli flags as he attends a pro-Palestinian rally denouncing Israel's attacks on Gaza in Sanaa December 31, 2008. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah (YEMEN) ...
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