The announcement Wednesday came just before the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday.

VOA: standard.2009.11.30

Mr Brahimi has been visiting a series of Middle Eastern capitals, putting forward a proposal for a ceasefire to mark the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, which starts at the end of the month.

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The move, officially in honor of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, was also meant to bolster the reputation of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, whose government is locked in a power struggle with the Hamas movement, which controls the Gaza Strip.

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