Wizdom
27-12-08, 18:42
World Condemns Israel Barbaric Aggression against Gaza
27/12/2008 The world on Saturday have condemned the Israeli aggressive attacks on the Gaza strip and called for an immediate halt to the attacks that have killed over 205 Palestinians and wounded over 400.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stated that he "is deeply alarmed by the heavy violence and bloodshed in Gaza, and the continuation of violence in southern Israel," and appealed for an immediate halt to all violence.
"While recognizing Israel's security concerns regarding the continued firing of rockets from Gaza, he firmly reiterates Israel's obligation to uphold international humanitarian and human rights law and condemns excessive use of force leading to the killing and injuring of civilians," the statement said.
Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni spoke to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and told him Hamas was the sole party responsible for all that goes on in Gaza. She said she expected the international community to uphold the same stance.
The French presidency of the European Union "expresses greatest concern at the escalation of violence in the Gaza Strip and deplores the very large number of civilian victims," a statement said. "It condemns the Israeli bombardments as well as the firing of rockets from Gaza. It demands their immediate halt. It condemns the disproportionate use of force."
A spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana earlier Saturday said, "We are calling for an immediate ceasefire and the maximum restraint. Everything must be done to reinstate the truce" declared by the Palestinian Hamas movement controlling Gaza, which expired on December 19.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy issued a similar statement in Paris, saying he "strongly condemns the irresponsible provocations which led to this situation as well as the disproportionate use of force." Sarkozy "deplores the heavy civilian losses and expresses his condolences to the innocent victims and their families," the statement said.
In London a Foreign Office spokesman said, "We are deeply concerned by the reports of deaths and injuries of innocent civilians in the Gaza Strip following the recent Israeli air strikes." "We urge maximum restraint to avoid further civilian casualties," he added.
Middle East envoy Tony Blair called for an end to both rocket attacks from Gaza into the Zionist entity and Israeli air strikes on the Hamas-controlled strip, saying a new strategy was needed for Gaza. "The terrible events and tragic loss of life in Gaza require, in the immediate term, the introduction of a genuine calm in which the rocket attacks aimed at killing Israeli civilians and the Israeli attacks on Gaza cease so that the suffering of the people, which is severe, can be lifted," he said.
Russia also called on Israel to halt its use of force in the Gaza Strip. "Russia believes it is necessary to halt immediately the large-scale acts of force against the Gaza Strip, which have already caused considerable victims and suffering amongst the Palestinian population," the foreign ministry said.
And as usual the United States with its double standard policy, didn’t call for halting the Israeli aggression, however, it urged Israel to avoid civilian casualties as it pounded Hamas targets in Gaza, but warned the Islamic movement must halt its rocket attacks "if the violence is to stop." "The United States urges Israel to avoid civilian casualties as it targets Hamas in Gaza," US National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said in Waco, as US President George W. Bush closed out 2008 on his Texas ranch.
"Hamas' continued rocket attacks into Israel must cease if the violence is to stop. Hamas must end its terrorist activities if it wishes to play a role in the future of the Palestinian people," Johndroe said in a brief statement.
The Organization of the Islamic Conference slammed as war crime Israel’s air raids on the Gaza Strip. "The latest Israeli massacre is a war crime and shows what little regard Israel has for international law and the 4th Geneva Convention on the protection of civilians in time of war," OIC chief Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said in a statement.
Ihsanoglu, head of the Jeddah-based OIC, called on Palestinian factions to "begin an immediate national dialogue with the aim of restoring unity and ending divisions that grievously harm the Palestinian cause." He said he had called a high-level OIC meeting to discuss Gaza and urged the international community to take urgent action "to end Israeli violations and protect the Palestinian people."
For its part, Iran condemned Israel's deadly raids on the Gaza Strip and called on the international community to take immediate action to stop them. Foreign ministry spokesman Hassan Ghashgavi demanded "urgent action... from the UN Security Council, the Organization of the Islamic Conference and other countries to prevent the Zionist regime from continuing its crimes."
"These crimes... are proof of the aggressive attitude of the Zionist regime and are the result of silence in the international community to the unjust encirclement of the people of Gaza," Ghashgavi said of the Israeli blockade of Gaza.
Amr Mussa, secretary general of the Cairo-based Arab League, called for an emergency meeting on Sunday of foreign ministers of Arab countries "to discuss the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip."
He also asked Libya, as a member of the United National Security Council, to organize an emergency meeting of the council on the subject of the Israeli raids.
An official in Tripoli said Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi had contacted Arab leaders to seek a "firm and serious position after the butchery which took place today in Gaza."
Syria also condemned the Israeli air raids on the Gaza Strip as a "barbaric crime" and called for an emergency summit of the Arab League, the foreign ministry said in a statement. "Syria is following with great anxiety the barbaric Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people in Gaza," the statement said, branding the attack which left at least 205 people dead "a horrific crime and terrorist act."
King Abdullah II called for an immediate halt "all military actions" in a statement issued by the royal palace, saying the attacks "targeted innocents among the civilians including women and children." The king warned that "violence will only escalate the crisis and will not bring security to Israel."
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said in a statement that "Egypt condemns the Israeli military aggression on the Gaza Strip and blames Israel, as an occupying force, for the victims and the wounded."
In Amman the royal palace said King Abdullah of Jordan had been in touch with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and with Mubarak to "launch an Arab and international initiative aimed at ending the Israeli aggression."
The king urged a "return to negotiations which are the only solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," it said in a statement.
27/12/2008 The world on Saturday have condemned the Israeli aggressive attacks on the Gaza strip and called for an immediate halt to the attacks that have killed over 205 Palestinians and wounded over 400.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stated that he "is deeply alarmed by the heavy violence and bloodshed in Gaza, and the continuation of violence in southern Israel," and appealed for an immediate halt to all violence.
"While recognizing Israel's security concerns regarding the continued firing of rockets from Gaza, he firmly reiterates Israel's obligation to uphold international humanitarian and human rights law and condemns excessive use of force leading to the killing and injuring of civilians," the statement said.
Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni spoke to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and told him Hamas was the sole party responsible for all that goes on in Gaza. She said she expected the international community to uphold the same stance.
The French presidency of the European Union "expresses greatest concern at the escalation of violence in the Gaza Strip and deplores the very large number of civilian victims," a statement said. "It condemns the Israeli bombardments as well as the firing of rockets from Gaza. It demands their immediate halt. It condemns the disproportionate use of force."
A spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana earlier Saturday said, "We are calling for an immediate ceasefire and the maximum restraint. Everything must be done to reinstate the truce" declared by the Palestinian Hamas movement controlling Gaza, which expired on December 19.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy issued a similar statement in Paris, saying he "strongly condemns the irresponsible provocations which led to this situation as well as the disproportionate use of force." Sarkozy "deplores the heavy civilian losses and expresses his condolences to the innocent victims and their families," the statement said.
In London a Foreign Office spokesman said, "We are deeply concerned by the reports of deaths and injuries of innocent civilians in the Gaza Strip following the recent Israeli air strikes." "We urge maximum restraint to avoid further civilian casualties," he added.
Middle East envoy Tony Blair called for an end to both rocket attacks from Gaza into the Zionist entity and Israeli air strikes on the Hamas-controlled strip, saying a new strategy was needed for Gaza. "The terrible events and tragic loss of life in Gaza require, in the immediate term, the introduction of a genuine calm in which the rocket attacks aimed at killing Israeli civilians and the Israeli attacks on Gaza cease so that the suffering of the people, which is severe, can be lifted," he said.
Russia also called on Israel to halt its use of force in the Gaza Strip. "Russia believes it is necessary to halt immediately the large-scale acts of force against the Gaza Strip, which have already caused considerable victims and suffering amongst the Palestinian population," the foreign ministry said.
And as usual the United States with its double standard policy, didn’t call for halting the Israeli aggression, however, it urged Israel to avoid civilian casualties as it pounded Hamas targets in Gaza, but warned the Islamic movement must halt its rocket attacks "if the violence is to stop." "The United States urges Israel to avoid civilian casualties as it targets Hamas in Gaza," US National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said in Waco, as US President George W. Bush closed out 2008 on his Texas ranch.
"Hamas' continued rocket attacks into Israel must cease if the violence is to stop. Hamas must end its terrorist activities if it wishes to play a role in the future of the Palestinian people," Johndroe said in a brief statement.
The Organization of the Islamic Conference slammed as war crime Israel’s air raids on the Gaza Strip. "The latest Israeli massacre is a war crime and shows what little regard Israel has for international law and the 4th Geneva Convention on the protection of civilians in time of war," OIC chief Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said in a statement.
Ihsanoglu, head of the Jeddah-based OIC, called on Palestinian factions to "begin an immediate national dialogue with the aim of restoring unity and ending divisions that grievously harm the Palestinian cause." He said he had called a high-level OIC meeting to discuss Gaza and urged the international community to take urgent action "to end Israeli violations and protect the Palestinian people."
For its part, Iran condemned Israel's deadly raids on the Gaza Strip and called on the international community to take immediate action to stop them. Foreign ministry spokesman Hassan Ghashgavi demanded "urgent action... from the UN Security Council, the Organization of the Islamic Conference and other countries to prevent the Zionist regime from continuing its crimes."
"These crimes... are proof of the aggressive attitude of the Zionist regime and are the result of silence in the international community to the unjust encirclement of the people of Gaza," Ghashgavi said of the Israeli blockade of Gaza.
Amr Mussa, secretary general of the Cairo-based Arab League, called for an emergency meeting on Sunday of foreign ministers of Arab countries "to discuss the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip."
He also asked Libya, as a member of the United National Security Council, to organize an emergency meeting of the council on the subject of the Israeli raids.
An official in Tripoli said Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi had contacted Arab leaders to seek a "firm and serious position after the butchery which took place today in Gaza."
Syria also condemned the Israeli air raids on the Gaza Strip as a "barbaric crime" and called for an emergency summit of the Arab League, the foreign ministry said in a statement. "Syria is following with great anxiety the barbaric Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people in Gaza," the statement said, branding the attack which left at least 205 people dead "a horrific crime and terrorist act."
King Abdullah II called for an immediate halt "all military actions" in a statement issued by the royal palace, saying the attacks "targeted innocents among the civilians including women and children." The king warned that "violence will only escalate the crisis and will not bring security to Israel."
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said in a statement that "Egypt condemns the Israeli military aggression on the Gaza Strip and blames Israel, as an occupying force, for the victims and the wounded."
In Amman the royal palace said King Abdullah of Jordan had been in touch with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and with Mubarak to "launch an Arab and international initiative aimed at ending the Israeli aggression."
The king urged a "return to negotiations which are the only solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," it said in a statement.