Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will hold talks with leaders of Palestinian factions, including Islamic Hamas movement, to discuss the current deteriorated situation in the Gaza Strip.
"Now we have to be all united and be one hand in order to stop the aggression on our people in the Gaza Strip," Abbas told reporters as he chaired an emergency meeting of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) on Monday.
Israel has been carrying out unprecedented intensive airstrikes on the Gaza Strip since Saturday, mainly on Hamas targets, killing 313 people and wounding around 1400 others.
"The situation in the Gaza Strip is very critical and today's meeting of the PLO executive committee will be devoted for discussing the tragic situation of people living in the beloved Gaza Strip," said Abbas.
He renewed the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) condemnation to the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, adding "we wish the quick recovery to our wounded and we condemn this breaking attack on our people."
Abbas called on the international community "to stop this aggression," adding "since the aggression has begun, we have been calling and we will keep calling all Arab, regional and international parties to stop it."
Meanwhile, Abbas expressed hope that a truce deal would be reached or renewed "and calm would return back to our people in the Gaza Strip in order to avoid more suffering that grows up as the blockade is strengthened."
Abbas also revealed that the Arab League foreign ministers will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday, adding "there also will be an Arab Summit, where we would call on the UN Security Council to stop the aggression." "Until now we are sending humanitarian and medical aids to our people, and we receive aids from our brothers in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Libya and others," said Abbas.
(Xinhua News Agency December 29, 2008)
