DUBAI (AlArabiya.net, Agencies)
U.S. President-elect Barack Obama broke his silence Tuesday on Israel's assault of Gaza and said he was 'deeply concerned' about the loss of civilian lives in both Gaza and in Israel.
Joining a growing chorus of leaders from around the world, Obama told reporters "the loss of civilian life in Gaza and Israel is a source of deep concern for me."
However, Obama refused to comment any further and said he would adhere to his principle that only U.S. President George W. Bush would speak for American foreign policy at this time, adding he would have plenty more to say after his Jan. 20 inauguration.
The death toll hits 640 as Gaza children bear the brunt Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he hoped the basis could be found for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza as he called the current events the Middle East's "darkest moment" yet.
"I am hopeful that the basis on which an immediate ceasefire can take place can be found. It obviously depends on what we do on the crossings, what we do on the tunnels, what we do about the supply and trafficking in arms and what security we can give to both the Palestinian people and the Israeli people," he told reporters. |
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Arab League " The U.S.wants more blood and wants to block a decision by the Security Council so Israel can continue its aggression and perform a cleansing operation " Arab League deputy Meanwhile, the Arab League accused the U.S. of blocking a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, where 11 days of assault have killed almost 700 Palestinians and wounded thousands.
Arab foreign ministers who went to the U.N.'s New York headquarters to lobby for a resolution are "facing difficulties and obstacles because of the U.S. supportive stance toward Israel," said Mohammed Subaih, Arab League deputy secretary general for Palestinian affairs.
"(The U.S.) wants more blood and wants to block a decision by the Security Council so Israel can continue its aggression and perform a cleansing operation," he told AFP.
The Security Council is due to meet again on Tuesday to weigh an Arab call for an immediate ceasefire and for protection of Palestinian civilians.
The U.S. opposed a Libyan resolution calling for both sides to abide by a ceasefire because it did not explicitly mention Hamas rocket attacks.
A Western diplomat said France is working with Arab states to finalize a draft resolution that would call for an immediate ceasefire, specifically an end to the Israeli military assault as well as to rocket firing into Israel by Gaza-based forces.
The text would also urge the lifting of the Israeli siege of Gaza to allow humanitarian access to the beleaguered Palestinian population, protection of Palestinian civilians, a resumption of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and a mechanism to monitor the truce and the protection of civilians, diplomats said. |
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Saudi reaction " The Bush administration has left you (with) a disgusting legacy and a reckless position towards the massacres and bloodshed of innocents in Gaza...Enough is enough, today we are all Palestinians and we seek martyrdom for God and for Palestine, following those who died in Gaza " Saudi Prince In related news, a member of the Saudi royal family blasted the U.S. government on Tuesday for its "reckless" position towards Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip.
"The Bush administration has left you (with) a disgusting legacy and a reckless position towards the massacres and bloodshed of innocents in Gaza," Prince Turki al-Faisal said in a message directed at Obama.
"Enough is enough, today we are all Palestinians and we seek martyrdom for God and for Palestine, following those who died in Gaza," Faisal, a former ambassador to the United States, said at a forum on relations between the Gulf region and the U.S..
Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal slammed Israeli politicians for "shedding Palestinian blood in what has become a tactic for Israeli parties to settle their election battles."
The foreign minister called on Obama to live up to his campaign message of "change", urging cooperation with the Arab world. |
