Arab world condemns Gaza aid attack

Source: PressTV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=128447§ionid=351020206



The Arab world has united to condemn the Israeli forces' attack on a flotilla of ships carrying humanitarian supplies to the besieged Gaza Strip.

Arab League (AL) Secretary General Amr Moussa slammed the Monday's deadly raid against the humanitarian mission as a "crime."

"We condemn this crime, taken against a humanitarian mission and people. They were trying to help people. They were not on a military mission. Everyone should condemn this," Moussa told AFP. The AL chief said that the 22-member organization was now contemplating its "next step" against Israel.

Palestinian Authority Chief Mahmoud Abbas also termed the Israeli attack a "massacre," calling for a three-day strike in the West Bank, Press TV correspondent in Ramallah said. Abbas also warned that the lethal assault would jeopardize the US-sponsored indirect negotiations with Israel.

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri was also quick to slam the deadly Israeli raid as "dangerous and crazy", stressing that the action would only intensify tensions in the region.

"Lebanon firmly denounces this attack and calls on the international community, notably major powers... to take action in order to end this continued violation of human rights and threat to international peace," AFP quoted Hariri as saying.

Ibrahim Mousavi, the media spokesman for Lebanon's Hezbollah resistance movement, condemned the attack and offered sympathy to the families of the killed aid workers.

Meanwhile in Egypt, the opposition Muslim Brotherhood joined voice to slam the latest Israeli violence, urging President Hosni Mubarak to cut all Cairo-Tel Aviv ties. The movement also called on the Egyptian government to open the Rafah crossing.

Palestine's democratically elected Premier Ismail Haniyeh called on all supporters of the Palestinian cause to stage massive protests against Israel's "act of piracy," urging the Arab world to take "practical measures" to permanently end the Israeli blockade of Gaza.

At least 20 people were killed and 50 others injured when the Israeli navy stormed the Gaza Freedom Flotilla early on Monday. The convoy was intercepted in international waters, some 150km (90 miles) off the coast of Gaza.