Ramallah, Jan 27, SPA -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas urged Israel Thursday to respond quickly to conditions raised by militant groups in return for an official ceasefire declaration. "We are interested in a ceasefire declaration and we informed the Israelis about that and they have to respond and not to wait for two weeks or more, because this situation cannot bear any more waiting," he said. Abbas spoke to reporters before taking off in a Jordanian helicopter for a six-day journey to Cairo, Moscow and Turkey and after meeting with United States envoy William Burns. --SPA 1501 Local Time 1201 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/235090