Jan. 5 (Bloomberg) -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrives today in Egypt to start a two-day tour of the region as European diplomatic pressure to end the 10-day-old Gaza Strip conflict between Israel and Hamas intensifies.

Sarkozy, whose proposal for a 48-hour cease-fire was rebuffed by Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni last week, will meet Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, after his talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

Sarkozy’s tour of Egypt, the West Bank, Israel, Syria and Lebanon comes as Israel drives deeper into Gaza. Israel two nights ago broadened what started as an aerial campaign aimed at stopping rocket attacks on its southern towns and cities into a ground operation involving thousands of troops. Israel suffered its first combat death yesterday when a soldier was killed by Hamas gunfire, the army said.

At least 56 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the ground operation, bringing the overall death toll in Gaza since the fighting began to 514, said Mu’awia Hassanein, chief of emergency medical services in Gaza.

France has no official contacts with Hamas, which the U.S. and European Union list as a terrorist organization.

Sarkozy is the first Western leader to visit Israel and the Palestinian Territories since the conflict started Dec. 27.

Sarkozy arrives in the region shortly after an EU mission led by Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg. The Czech Republic took over the rotating EU presidency from France on Jan. 1.

France and Egypt, along with Turkey, yesterday condemned the ground invasion of Gaza by Israel. Mubarak and Sarkozy share the two-year presidency of the newly created political and economic entity called Mediterranean Union.

To contact the reporters on this story: Helene Fouquet in Jerusalem at Hfouquet1@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: January 5, 2009 03:22 EST