Abbas pulls out of Middle East peace talks with Israel's government over Gaza action
The current round of talks aimed at a peace treaty by year's end are now on hold following Israel's military actions in Gaza.
Mahmoud Abbas has taken the largely symbolic step to protest Israel's military incursion into Gaza to prevent further rocket attacks on Sderot and Ashkelon.
According to a story on the BBC World News site, the Palestinian president is seen as increasingly ineffective in the face of Israel's overwhelming ability to use force.