MK Yitzchak Herzog
MK Yitzchak HerzogFlash 90

Opposition leader MK Yitzhak Herzog (Labor) called on Thursday evening for Israel to resume peace talks with the Palestinian Authority (PA), even as Operation Protective Edge in Gaza continues.

''I'm not giving up on the dream of making peace in order to maintain the future of the country,” said Herzog, who spoke at a conference of the Council for Peace and Security.

“The only ones who risked mediating between the parties and put their reputations on the line were the Americans. I'm not sure that the President and the American government are willing to do so again,” he added.

Herzog claimed that the sides should first discuss the issues of security and borders and then proceed to other issues.

"Gaza has to be part of the equation. I am not prepared for Gaza to be a second Palestinian state, but for the arrangement to include Judea and Samaria together with Gaza,” he added.

Israel-PA peace talks broke off several months ago when PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas signed a unity pact with the Hamas terrorist group.

Abbas has indicated his willingness to resume peace negotiations with Israel but conditioned that on Israel releasing terrorists and halting construction in Judea and Samaria.

As Herzog was speaking on Thursday, the IDF continued Operation Protective Edge, hitting 930 terror targets in the Hamas enclave of Gaza.

Gaza terrorists, for their part, continued the rocket onslaught on Israel. While the terrorists have used long-range rockets and have hit almost as far as Haifa, the bulk of the rockets targeted southern Israel as has been the case for years.