Arab foreign ministers will hold an emergency meeting in Cairo on Sunday or Monday to take a common position on Israeli raids which killed over 170 people in Gaza Strip, the Arab League chief said on Saturday. At the same time Libya, the only Arab country on the U.N. Security Council, will seek an urgent meeting of the council, Secretary-General Amr Moussa was quoted as saying by Reuters.
On his part, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas firmly condemned the Israeli raid against the Gaza Strip, and called for a campaign to donate blood for the victims. The Palestinian Presidency Spokesman, Nabil Abu Rudeinah, said that President Abbas “Firmly condemns the Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip and demands the Israeli Government to immediately stop its attacks on our people.” He also called for a blood donation campaign to aid the Palestinians injured by Israeli fire.
Egypt also condemned the Israeli raids and said it would keep trying to restore a truce between Israel and Gaza. A presidential statement quoted by the state news agency MENA said Egypt held Israel responsible for the deaths and injuries that result from the raids. "Egypt condemns the Israeli military attacks," the agency added.
"Egypt will continue its contacts to prepare an atmosphere conducive to restoring the period of calm and achieving reconciliation between the Palestinian groups," it said. According to the statement, Egypt had tried to warn Israel of the grave consequence of attacking Gaza and had called on Palestinian groups to extend a truce which expired just over a week ago.
The presidential statement said Mubarak had given orders that the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt open for Palestinian casualties and that Egyptian medical facilities be available to all victims of the Israeli raids.
Meanwhile, European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Saturday. "We are very concerned at the events in Gaza. We call for an immediate ceasefire and urge everybody to exert maximum restraint," his spokesman said.
