News Brief

(IsraelNN.com) Israel has rejected an offer by former American President Jimmy Carter and former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan to mediate a ceasefire with Hamas. Carter recently authored a book that lambasted Israel for pursuing a policy of "apartheid" by building the separation barrier. He and Anan sent their proposal several weeks ago to Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, suggesting that they would be accompanied by South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu and former Irish President Mary Robinson.

"Israel believes that at this time it would not be right to introduce more players into a diplomatic process that is already in a complex stage," the Foreign Ministry said, according to the Hebrew newspaper Yediot Aharonot.