GAZA CITY, GAZA STRIP (AP) _ PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT MAHMOUD ABBAS SAID SATURDAY THAT DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS TO RESOLVE A CRISIS WITH ISRAEL OVER AN ABDUCTED SOLDIER HAD YET TO BEAR FRUIT. ISRAELI FORCES ENTERED THE GAZA STRIP ON WEDNESDAY AND HAVE CARRIED OUT CONTINUOUS AIRSTRIKES AND BOMBARDMENTS THROUGHOUT THE TERRITORY TO PRESSURE THE PALESTINIANS TO RELEASE THE SOLDIER, WHO WAS SEIZED DURING A MILITANT RAID ON AN ARMY POST SUNDAY. «AFTER A WEEK OF CONTINUOUS AND LONG CONTACTS WITH ALL PARTIES, PALESTINIAN, ARAB, INTERNATIONAL AND PARTICULARLY EGYPTIAN, THE PRESIDENT ... IS STILL EXERTING EFFORTS TO STOP THE ISRAELI AGGRESSION AND AVOID MORE DISASTERS FOR THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE,» A STATEMENT FROM ABBAS’ OFFICE SAID. «THE NEXT HOURS ARE CRITICAL, SENSITIVE AND SERIOUS. AND THOUGH THE EFFORTS ARE STILL ONGOING, WE HAVE NOT REACHED AN ACCEPTABLE SOLUTION UNTIL NOW,» THE STATEMENT WAS QUOTED AS SAYING BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. ABBAS ALSO APPEALED TO ALL PARTIES TO WORK TO FIND «AN ACCEPTABLE SOLUTION» TO THE CRISIS. --SPA 01/07/2006 14:13 ت م www.spa.gov.sa/372580