GCC extraordinary summit in Riyadh calls for continuing efforts in Kuwait summit to stop Israeli carnage in Gaza

Prince Saud Al-Faisal: Riyadh summit stresses restoration of cohesion; working together for the success of Kuwait summit

Riyadh summit calls for end to aggression on Gaza, stronger Arab solidarity

UN chief urges immediate ceasefire as fighting in Gaza reaches unbearable point

The leaders and heads of delegations of the member states of the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) concluded at Al-Dareya palace in Riyadh this evening their closed door-session, ending their Extraordinary summit called for by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

Following the meeting, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud saw off each of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahayan, President of the United Arab Emirates; His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of the Kingdom of Bahrain; His Highness Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Saeed, Deputy Premier for Cabinet's Affairs of the Sultanate of Oman; His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar; and His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Emir of the State of Kuwait, wishing them and their accompanying delegations good trips and safe return.

The leaders and heads of delegations of the member states of the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) who took part in the Extraordinary summit called for by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in Riyadh left en route homes.

Those who left were His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahayan, President of the United Arab Emirates; His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of the Kingdom of Bahrain; His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar; His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Emir of the State of Kuwait; and His Highness Mr. Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Saeed, Deputy Premier for Cabinet's Affairs of the Sultanate of Oman.

The Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Extraordinary summit called for by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, which was held in Riyadh, issued a statement released to the press by Abdulrahman Al-Atiyyah, Secretary General of the GCC.

The statement said the meeting was convened at the invitation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to discuss the situations in Gaza Strip.

The meeting was attended by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahayan, President of the United Arab Emirates; His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of the Kingdom of Bahrain; His Highness Mr. Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Saeed, Deputy Premier of the Sultanate of Oman; His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar; His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Emir of the State of Kuwait. Abdulrahman Al-Atiyyah, Secretary General of the GCC, took part in the meeting.

The leaders discussed the overall issues of the region, topped by the Palestinian issue and the tragedy inflicted on the Palestinian brothers in Gaza in particular.

They commended the efforts exerted by all Arab countries in this context and agreed that these efforts be reviewed at Kuwait Summit and followed- up to achieve the desired objectives.

For their parts, the GCC leaders expressed thanks to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud for his invitation to this fraternal meeting, expressing their happiness of the results they have reached.

Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Foreign Minister said that among the most important achievements of the Extraordinary Summit held in Riyadh are the restoration of cohesion in the Gulf rank, following-up the crisis that has befallen the Palestinian people in Gaza, and building up a climate of understanding and harmony. He hoped that will be reflected in Kuwait Summit.

In a press conference attended by the Minister of Culture and Information Iyad bin Amin Madani and Secretary General of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Hamad Al-Atiyyah, Prince Saud said that Kuwait Summit will discuss the issue of the Gaza Strip, noting that Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, told the GCC leaders that the first item on the agenda of Kuwait summit will be the Palestinian issue and the tragedy of the Palestinian people in Gaza as a result of the Israeli aggression.

Prince Saud stressed that this time is one of the most important times of the Arab solidarity, saying "The challenge is not simple. Unless the efforts are united, the confrontation of the challenges will be less effective."

Prince Saud indicated that the GCC leaders discussed ways of providing financial support for the Gaza Strip, noting that there will be generous donations.

As regards the validity of the Arab initiative after the Israeli aggression on Gaza, he said, "The initiative is valid; but the second party should accept it in order to be productive. The other party fails and procrastinates to accept it. It does not want to agree because it does not want peace. It wants to gain land. It will be pleased if the initiative falls and no one speaks about it."

Prince Saud said,” The Arab initiative has enabled the Arab states to penetrate the ranks of Israel's supporters in Europe and the Western world, and has become a pressuring factor on Israel. If the initiative is frozen, it will not be implemented; and if it is cancelled, it will not be implemented. Then what is the objective of canceling it as long as there is a way to put pressure on Israel and decrease the states supporting it. "

On his arrival in Riyadh to head the Bahrain delegation at the emergency GCC summit his Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa said the call for the meet by Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques, Saudi Monarch King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, came to take a united gulf stance.

Uniting efforts as well as Arab and Gulf stances are essentials at this stage to support the brethren in Gaza, his majesty said. Israeli hostilities against the Palestinians and the suffering they are causing them require a keen observation of the situation in a bid to find a solution to it and end the continuous offensive that has claimed the lives of hundreds and injured thousands, his majesty said.

The participation of Bahrain in the emergency summit comes to affirm its solid support for Arab issues, mainly the Palestinian cause, his majesty added. We strongly condemn these hostile attacks in which the most destructive of weapons were used in a clear imbalance of power between the two sides and a flagrant violation of all international values of peace and security, his majesty said.

He urged the international community and all regional and Arab forces to take immediate action to end the Israeli onslaught and the Palestinian bloodshed. Israel has to be pressured to respect international law, his majesty stressed.

This genocide committed by Israel has to stop and peaceful alternatives must be sought to achieve fair and comprehensive peace and block tension in the region, his majesty said. All this would only be achieved if Israel withdrew from occupied Arab land, ended the siege on Palestinians and stopped settlement operations along with the establishment of a Palestinian state, his majesty added.

The Israeli military assassinated de facto Interior Minister Sa’id Siyam in an air strike.

The Israeli bomb caused a massive explosion that leveled his brother's house. The blast also killed his son Muhammad Siyam, his brother Iyad Siyam, his brother’s wife and their son, and his assistant.

In addition to Siyam, a total of nine others were killed in the strike, which reportedly targeted a senior Islamic Jihad leader and the head of the Al-Qassam Brigades, an armed faction affiliated with Hamas.

Considered a hardliner within the Hamas movement, Siyam formed the Executive Forces, a parallel, Hamas-controlled security apparatus, after Hamas was elected to power in 2006.

At least 1,095 Palestinians have been killed in 20 days of the Israeli onslaught in Gaza, a senior Palestinian health official told Ma’an.

According to Dr Mu’awiyah Hassanain, the director of Ambulance and Emergency Services in the Health Ministry in Gaza, 5,027 have been injured.

The Israeli military assassinated de facto Interior Minister Sa’id Siyam in an air strike.

The Israeli bomb caused a massive explosion that leveled his brother's house. The blast also killed his son Muhammad Siyam, his brother Iyad Siyam, his brother’s wife and their son, and his assistant.

In addition to Siyam, a total of nine others were killed in the strike, which reportedly targeted a senior Islamic Jihad leader and the head of the Al-Qassam Brigades, an armed faction affiliated with Hamas.

Considered a hardliner within the Hamas movement, Siyam formed the Executive Forces, a parallel, Hamas-controlled security apparatus, after Hamas was elected to power in 2006.

An Israeli F16 fighter jet fired a missile at a house in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza, killing three and injuring 25 others.

Israeli warplanes and artillery have also shelled hospitals, mosques, and a UN compound.

Israeli ground forces backed by tanks invaded Gaza City from the south while warplanes bombed the city center, causing thousands to flee their homes.

In the southern Gaza City neighborhood of Tel Al-Hawa, gunfire and fierce clashes with Palestinian fighters have been reported. Witnesses said the tanks have reached Awan Street, the farthest Israeli forces have entered since the beginning of the invasion.

In the southern Rimal neighborhood, just to the north of Tel Al-Hawa, witnesses reported seeing dozens of families in their bedclothes in the streets, fleeing the Israeli onslaught on foot.

In Tel Al-Hawa, Al-Quds Hospital went up in flames after it came under Israeli shelling. Workers at the Palestine Red Crescent facility said they fear the fire could cause an explosion due to the fuel stored in the hospital's warehouse.

Bashar Murad, the head of emergency services at Al-Quds Hospital, told Ma’an that three Israeli missiles hit the hospital, two of them containing white phosphorus. Shrapnel from the bombs was scattered in the hospital but no one was injured. Fire has engulfed the hospital’s administration building, a storehouse, and a pharmacy.

Murad said that up to 600 people had fled Tel Al-Hawa and areas around the hospital.

Meanwhile, UN's relief agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, says Israeli shells struck their headquarters in Gaza City, injuring three workers. The compound includes the UNRWA offices, warehouses and a school. As many as 700 Palestinians had taken refuge in the compound, which is still on fire.

The United Nations is claiming that shells were laced with the controversial chemical weapon, white phosphorus.

Separately, Israeli forces attacked a media compound home to the Reuters news agency, NBC, and a number of Arab networks in Gaza City. Two journalists working for Abu Dhabi television were injured when at least one Israeli shell struck the building.

The Mujahedin Brigades said that two fighters have been killed in street battles with Israeli forces in Tel Al-Hawa. They were identified as Ahmad Al-Bitar and Ahed Abu Asi.

Another 21 Gazans were confirmed killed in heavy overnight shelling. According to senior officials at the Palestinian Health Ministry, the official death toll is now 1,095. More than 5,000 have been wounded in two and a half weeks of the Israeli offensive in Gaza

. Israeli forces shelled a store near Al-Karameh towers in Gaza City, the Bashir mosque, and the Al-Arqam school in eastern Gaza City.

The Israel's air force said it attacked more than 70 targets in Gaza, in what appeared to be heavier-than-usual bombing. Heavy artillery shelling was also reported in Beit Lahiya and Jebalya, north of Gaza City, and in Khan Younis, in the south of the Strip.

The Israeli military said it would continue the operation in Gaza despite reports that Hamas had accepted an Egyptian proposal for a ceasefire.

In meeting with Livni, UN chief calls for immediate ceasefire in accordance with Resolution 1860 and reopening of crossings, adds Israel's residents have a right to live without fear. Israeli FM: Hamas responsible for loss of life in Gaza

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told Israel that the death toll from fighting in the Gaza Strip had reached an "unbearable point".

During a meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Ban called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza in accordance with UN Resolution 1860 and the reopening of the crossings.

The UN chief added that Israel's residents have a right to live "without fear" and called for the cessation of the Palestinian rocket attacks on the Jewish state. He also criticized Hamas gunmen's use of private homes and facilities.

Livni told the secretary-general that Israel was forced to launch the military offensive to protect its citizens, adding that Israel must seek an agreement with moderate elements while continuing to fight "terror" and Hamas. She said the Islamist group cannot be considered legitimate until it accepts the international community's conditions, which include recognizing Israel's right to exist.

"The Israeli civilian population has been living under the threat of rocket attacks for the past eight years. We exercised restraint, but there comes a time when a country has to say enough is enough. Hamas is not even considering accepting the international community's demands," the FM said.

"Hamas is responsible for the loss of life in Gaza and the humanitarian situation there. The battle in the region is not between Israel and the Palestinians, but between moderates and extremists."

Thirteen Israelis have been killed - 10 soldiers and three civilians hit by Hamas rocket fire.

A full arms embargo on all parties involved in the Gaza conflict is urgently needed to prevent further unlawful attacks and other violations of international law, as the civilian death toll continues to mount in Gaza. At least 900 Palestinians have so far been killed, more than a third of them civilians, including some 200 Palestinian children – as more US munitions are en route to the region.

“The last thing that is needed now is more weapons and munitions in the region, which is awash with arms that are being used in a manner which contravenes international law and is having a devastating effect on the civilian population in Gaza,” said Malcolm Smart, Director of the Middle East and North Africa Program.

Amnesty International says the UN Security Council must act now and impose an immediate, comprehensive arms embargo on all parties to the conflict in Gaza to prevent any further flow of arms to the warring parties.

“We know that the Wehr Elbe, a German-owned cargo ship, left the USA on 20 December 2008 with a large consignment – 989 containers - of high explosives and other munitions,” said Malcolm Smart. “Hired and now legally controlled by the US Military Sealift Command, it is destined for the Israeli port of Ashdod and was due to transit via Greece, though its latest reported position indicates that the shipment’s route may have changed.”

Tenders for two other arms shipments totaling 325 containers of US munitions were approved by the Pentagon on 31 December, four days after the start of Israel's current attacks on targets in Gaza. These two consignments were due to be shipped to Ashdod, Israel, from Astakos in Greece, but that particular tender has now been cancelled, according to information provided to Amnesty International by the US Military Sealift Command. Tender documents show that these shipments contain white phosphorous, known for its potential to cause severe burns and an indiscriminate weapon when used as an airburst in densely-populated civilian areas as now alleged in Gaza. The US Department of Defense says it is now looking at other means to deliver the munitions to a US stockpile in Israel. A US-Israel agreement has allowed US munitions stockpiled in Israel to be transferred to the Israeli Defense Force in "an emergency."

“The US government should not proceed with these or any other arms shipments to Israel, and the Greek and other governments should not allow their ports or other facilities to be used to ferry arms to Israel or the other parties to this conflict.”

“The plight of civilians in Gaza has become increasingly desperate in the six days since the Security Council’s near unanimous, but unheeded, call for a ceasefire,” said Malcolm Smart. “Israeli forces continue to carry out unlawful attacks, including attacks which are disproportionate, and stand accused of using weapons such as white phosphorous which pose an unacceptable risk to civilians when deployed in densely-populated areas. Meanwhile, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups persist in firing indiscriminate rockets into civilian areas in Israel.”

“In addition to locally produced arms, Israeli forces are carrying out unlawful attacks using foreign weaponry and other military equipment supplied mainly by the USA but also from other countries, while rockets and rocket-making equipment smuggled into Gaza from Egypt are being used against the civilian population in southern Israel,” said Malcolm Smart.

A Security Council arms embargo is needed primarily to prevent new weapons supplies reaching the two sides, but it could also send a powerful signal to Israel and Hamas about the Council’s determination to uphold international law.

“The Security Council must insist on full accountability for war crimes and other serious violations committed during this conflict,” said Malcolm Smart. "This means taking steps to ensure that alleged violations are thoroughly and impartially investigated, and that any persons found responsible are brought to justice in fair trials.”

To prevent irresponsible transfers of conventional arms being used for serious violations of international law, including international human rights law and international humanitarian law, Amnesty International and hundreds of other NGOs, including the International Action Network on Small Arms and Oxfam International, have been campaigning for the establishment of a global Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). Over 150 Member States have voted for a UN process towards the establishment of an ATT, a process which will resume on 23 January in New York.