Saudi Arabia
Blasts Israeli Terrorism Over Gaza Raid
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The attack brought international condemnation worldwide |
TAIF,
Saudi Arabia, July 29 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Saudi Arabia
strongly condemned Israel Monday, July 29, over last week's air strike
on Gaza City which killed 18 Palestinians including eleven children,
terming the attack a terrorist act, Agence France-Presse (AFP)
reported.
"The
cabinet affirms that this crime is a terrorist act that cannot be
justified under any pretext," said a statement issued after the
first weekly cabinet meeting since the raid, carried by the official
SPA news agency.
The
raid is "a stigma in the face of modern history, a deplorable act
and a severe blow to efforts underway to put an end to violence,"
in a bid to restore peace and stability in the Middle East, the
statement said.
The
Saudi cabinet, meeting under Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz,
added, "The kingdom strongly condemns this horrible crime and
Israel's daily atrocities against the Palestinian people, which show
it does not want current (peace) efforts to succeed."
A
missile fired by an Israeli F-16 warplane in a densely populated area
of Gaza city late Monday, July 22, killed the head of the armed wing
of the Islamic resistance movement Hamas, Salah Shehade, and his
bodyguard, along with 13 civilians.
The
attack drew a chorus of international condemnation from Arab
countries, EU, UN, Russia, China, and even Israel closest ally, the
U.S. called the bombing “heavy handed”.
The
Saudi cabinet blasted the practices of Israel's occupation forces,
notably "the demolition of houses, the blockade of Palestinians
and the assassination of their leaders."
This
is not the first official statement of condemnation coming from Saudi
Arabia, as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which has the Kingdom
as one of its members, Wednesday, July 24, condemned Israel's
"brutal" air strike on Gaza and urged international
protection for Palestinians.
"The
GCC voices strong condemnation of the flagrant Israeli attack on
residential areas in the old city of Gaza on Monday, which killed and
wounded scores, including innocent children and women," the
Riyadh-based GCC secretariat said in a statement.
The
Gulf bloc urged the international community to "adopt a clear
position and apply pressure on Israel to stop its brutal attacks
against the Palestinian people."
The
statement from the GCC, grouping Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi
Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, also called for
"providing international protection" for the Palestinians.
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