A top leader of Palestinian paramilitary group Hamas said Saturday the war in Gaza has killed the last chance for settlement and negotiations with Israel.

In a televised speech in Damascus in Arabic, Hamas' leader Khaled Meshaal said Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip were a holocaust and called for an end to them and the removal of the forces from Gaza, according to the Associated Press.

Let Israel pull out first, let the aggression stop first, let the crossings open and then people can look into the issue of calm, said Meshaal, according to Reuters.

Meanwhile Israel sent tanks deeper into Gaza today and threatened to intensify the attacks.

The United Nations Security Council called on Thursday for an end to the fighting. Currently Hamas is in Cairo, Egypt to negotiate a cease of fire with Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak.

Settlement Israel