Middle East

Ban to push for Gaza ceasefire during Middle East trip

Ban to push for Gaza ceasefire during Middle East tripNew York - United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon leaves Tuesday on a week-long trip to the Middle East to seek a permanent truce to the fighting in the Gaza Strip.

He goes backed by UN Security Council Resolution 1860, adopted Thursday, which demands an "immediate, durable and fully respected ceasefire."

Ban demands Israel, Hamas stop fighting, heed UN resolution

Ban demands Israel, Hamas stop fighting, heed UN resolution New York  - United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Monday issued his strongest call yet to Israel and Hamas to stop the fighting and abide by a UN Security Council resolution that would ensure that relief supplies reach people in the Gaza Strip.

"All sides must stop now," Ban told a press conference at UN headquarters. He is to leave Tuesday on a visit to seven Middle East nations and Palestinian territories, ending the trip in Kuwait, where he will attend a previously scheduled Arab economic forum.

UN urges Israel to stop fighting to allow relief operations

New York  - The United Nations on Monday appealed to the Israeli government to institute longer lulls in the fighting so more humanitarian assistance can be provided to the population in Gaza Strip.

The Israeli Defense Forces repeated a three-hour lull on Monday to allow dozens of trucks carrying relief supplies to enter Gaza. But John Holmes, the coordinator for UN humanitarian operations, said the lull should last 24 hours and be renewed.

"The three-hour lulls have continued but they are far from satisfactory," Holmes said at UN headquarters in New York. "The time has changed and in some occasions have caused confusion for aid agencies and the population, of course."

Israel asks world leaders to condemn anti-Semitic actions

Israel asks world leaders to condemn anti-Semitic actions Jerusalem  - Israel called Monday on world leaders to "condemn, suppress and curb" anti-Semitic actions sparked by the Jewish state's current assault on Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.

"We have received with great concern and revulsion many reports of physical, moral, verbal and other manifestations of anti-Semitic attacks towards Jews and Israeli citizens in many parts of the world," a statement from the Foreign Ministry said.

Arab foreign ministers to hold emergency meeting in Kuwait

Arab foreign ministers to hold emergency meeting in Kuwait Cairo - Arab foreign ministers will hold an emergency meeting in Kuwait on Friday to discuss means of stopping Israeli attacks on Gaza, Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa said Monday.

Moussa said the ministers would discuss "the continuing Israeli aggression on Gaza," following Israel's rejection of UN Security Council Resolution 1860, which calls for an immediate ceasefire.

Both Hamas and Israel have rejected the Security Council resolution.

Pakistan condemns Israeli "aggression" in Gaza

Islamabad  - Pakistani lawmakers Monday strongly condemned "Israeli aggression" in the Gaza Strip and called on the international community to bring about an early end to the "atrocities".

A resolution passed unanimously in the lower house of Pakistan's parliament, the National Assembly, said the Israeli military offensive and continued siege of Gaza were in "contravention of international law and international humanitarian law."

The house asked all parties to "keep open the crossings leading to Gaza, including the Rafah Crossing, to ensure free and unhindered flow of humanitarian assistance to the affected people."

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