Haniya: Israel's aggression will fail to suppress our people

[ 09/04/2011 - 08:07 AM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

Elected Palestinian Prime Minister, Isma'il Haniya, strongly denounced the Israeli brutal attacks on the Gaza Strip that targeted children, women, elderly people, and ambulances, stressing this aggression would fail to subdue the Palestinian people or break their will.

Haniya mourned in a statement the death of civilians during the Israeli attacks, highlighting that the faith and steadfastness of the Palestinian people are bigger than Israel's massacres and tyranny.

The premier also in a telephone conversation with health minister Basem Naim deplored deliberate attacks on paramedics and ambulances. He was reassured that the health ministry is prepared to deal with emergencies as Israel is escalating its aggression against the Strip.

In this regard, the Palestinian government on Friday called on the Arab League to hold an urgent meeting to discus Israel's escalating aggression against Gaza and find appropriate mechanisms to confront it.

The government also urged all Palestinian factions and national forces to unite and close ranks to confront the occupation and move at all levels to stop its aggression.

Angered Arabi says Israel must commit to calm

[ 09/04/2011 - 07:55 AM ]

CAIRO, (PIC)--

Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Al-Arabi called for an urgent meeting on Friday evening, that included his aides and Arab diplomats, to discuss developments in the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip.

Israeli aggression culminated that day in the killing of five Palestinians and the injury of more than 30 others after raids were carried out against several civilian targets and structures. Medical crews were some of those targets. Israel has threatened to continue the escalation using various means.

The Egyptian foreign minister requested the said meeting as he was angered over what was happening in Gaza, Egyptian diplomats told the Palestinian Information Center. He had also contacted several foreign ministers from other Arab countries.

Al-Arabi expressed worry over the recent escalation on the Strip and said that Egypt strongly condemned the Israeli air strikes and missiles fired at several sites there.

He also said that Egypt had exerted great efforts to stop the escalation between the Palestinians and the Israelis ”before the situation worsens”.

”We hope everyone will commit to the calm for the sake of the safety and security of their citizens,” he said.

Earlier at noon, more than 2,000 Egyptians gathered outside the Israeli embassy in Cairo demanding an exit of the ambassador and closure of the embassy.

Hundreds had prior to that burned Israeli flags in Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo. Pro-Palestinians marched there and demanded an end to the Israeli siege on Gaza, an opening of the Rafah border crossing and that Palestine tops the Egyptian list of foreign priorities.

Meanwhile, the Islamic Brotherhood group in Egypt has called on Arab and Muslim governments to address and put an end to the Israeli onslaught on the Gaza Strip.

Statements expected to be issued by the Arab world and the international community condemning the attacks ”are no longer enough to stop the bloodshed of people innocent and besieged for years,” said Dr. Moussa Mursi, the group's media spokesman.

He called for financial and military support of the Palestinian resistance fighters, also appealing to de facto Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas to respond quickly ”without limitation or condition” to reconciliation efforts, which are among the prime targets in the current Israeli onslaught.

Palestinian interior ministry declares state of emergency in Gaza

[ 09/04/2011 - 02:13 PM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

The Palestinian ministry of interior declared on Saturday a state of emergency throughout the Gaza Strip as a result of the ongoing Israeli military attacks that escalated during the last two days.

Spokesman for the ministry Ihab Al-Ghussein said that Israel's bombing of the interior ministry's buildings would not discourage its cadres from fulfilling their national duties and protecting the internal front.

The spokesman affirmed that the interior ministry and all its security apparatuses are working round the clock after declaring a state of emergency.

"The Palestinian police maintain the public security and protect citizens and their property, while the civil defense and medical services are working round the clock throughout the Strip to save civilians from the Zionist occupation's attacks," the spokesman said.

"Yesterday, the factions respected the Palestinian consensus on the need to stop firing retaliatory rockets, but the Zionist occupation foiled this agreement by continuing its attacks and killing civilians, women, children and elderly people in addition to its persistence in committing war crimes by targeting medical crews and ambulances, and firing white phosphorus shells which are internationally prohibited," he underlined.

Hamdan appeals to Arab, Islamic states to assume responsibilities towards Gaza

[ 09/04/2011 - 02:16 PM ]

BEIRUT, (PIC)--

Director of Hamas's international relations Osama Hamdan appealed to the Arab and Islamic countries to assume their responsibilities towards the Gaza Strip which is under constant attack by the Israeli occupation.

Hamdan told Al-Aqsa radio on Saturday this military aggression against Gaza is an Israeli habit and it is not abnormal behavior.

He said that the Israeli occupation state is coming through an unstable stage and its options are indecisive as it is losing its allies in the region.

The Hamas official underlined that the Israeli occupation does not need to make pretexts to justify its aggression because its existence itself is a crime, not to mention its aggressive tendencies.

"As our people's will has made a victory before, it will triumph once again by the grace of God and then by the steadfastness of our people, our fighters, and political leadership," the official emphasized.