UNITED NATIONS (AFP) -- The leaders of the United Nations and the Arab League made an urgent appeal to international donors Friday to expedite aid promised to the people of Gaza, following last year's devastating war. In a joint statement, Ban Ki-moon and Nabil al-Arabi expressed their "deep concern" over limited resources to improve the situation in Gaza. They "urgently appeal to donors to honor and disburse as soon as possible their financial commitments made at the October 2014 Cairo Conference," the statement said. Those funds include money for UN agencies in Gaza to "prevent a further deterioration in the already dire humanitarian situation." The international community promised $5.4 billion to the Palestinians, half of which is to help rebuild Gaza after devastating Israeli bombing in July and August last year. The Israeli assault killed around 2,200 people and left nearly 110,000 homeless, with more than 11,000 more left injured. more

CAIRO — Capitalizing on Turkey’s growing stature and influence across the Middle East at a time of regional upheaval, its prime minister ramped up the pressure on Israel and the United States on Tuesday, telling Arab League ministers they must vote for Palestinian statehood at the United Nations this month. “Recognition of the Palestinian state is the only correct way,” the prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said in a speech to members of Arab League in Cairo on the second day of his so-called “Arab Spring” tour. “It is not a choice but an obligation.” Mr. Erdogan’s support of Palestinian statehood was certainly no surprise. But the commanding tone of his message, coupled with his increasingly hostile attitude toward Israel — which once considered Turkey its close friend — underscored how Turkey has now cast itself as a leader in the region. more

The Arab League has confirmed it will seek full Palestinian statehood and membership of the UN at the UN General Assembly in September. The announcement was made following a committee meeting in Doha, Qatar, on Thursday. The Secretary General of the Arab League has announced that the League will seek full membership for Palestine in the UN General Assembly based on pre 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. The UN is set to hold an open debate on the Middle East on July 26th. more

The Arab League has formally agreed to seek full UN membership for a Palestinian state . PA President Abbas says no basis for talks with Israel after Netanyahu rejects Palestinian rights and aspirations. The Palestinian president said on Saturday there were "no shared foundations" for peace talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and seeking UN recognition of Palestinian statehood was his only option. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, addressing an Arab League meeting in Doha, expressed concern that taking the diplomatic step opposed by the United States and Israel could result in financial sanctions and urged Arab states to fill any gap. more The US is against recognition of a Palestinian state and intends to use its veto at the security council, but this will not stop a vote by an emergency session of the general assembly using resolution 377 - the so-called 'uniting for peace' resolution - if the security council 'fails to maintain world peace and secu...

In an interview with the Washington Post the long-time general secretary of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, points out that only a minority of countries consider Hamas to be a terrorist organisation. Going back to U.S.–Egyptian relations, how will they change? Egypt conducted its relations in the region in a way that the people did not accept. Egyptian-Arab relations is one thing; the Palestinian question is another. . . . Blocking Gaza and enforcing the siege along Gaza — people didn’t like that. We should have insisted and used Egyptian-Israeli relations to try and undo and put an end to the siege that caused a lot of suffering to the people of Gaza. The whole world has said exactly what I am saying — that the siege has to come to an end. The old regime was not of the same view. Now you have brought Hamas to Cairo. The view that Hamas is a terrorist organization is a view that pertains to a minority of countries, not a majority. Being a terrorist is not a stigma forever. more

The death toll in Gaza since a bus was hit in Israel has now risen to 19 with the third day of attacks claiming five more lives. Talk of a ceasefire has receded this morning with news that Israel's foreign minister, the ultra right-wing fruitcake Lieberman, is calling for no ceasefire "on Hamas's terms", claiming any such move would not be in Israel's interest. But somehow killing more innocent men women and children is? Surely they must know that a new war against the civilian population of Gaza will create a firestorm of protest around the world, and most importantly in Egypt. At minimum we can expet to see the Israeli embassy in Cairo burnt to the ground and the generals forced to rip up the 'peace' treaty with the settler state. Others in the cabinet also make no secret of their desire for another war: National Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau, also of Israel Beiteinu, echoed Lieberman's calls to use force in order to deter Hamas, saying that...

The Arab League has given its blessing for the Palestinian Authority to open direct talks with Israel, although the 'timing' is left in Abbas's hands. Yesterday both the PA and Hamas restated their position, objecting to any such talks while settlements continued to expand. Abbas obviously has to tread carefully following the Goldstone debacle when he initially sided with the US by calling for a suspension of judgment by the UN human rights council inquiry. CAIRO (Reuters) – The Arab League said on Thursday it would back face-to-face peace talks between the Palestinians and Israel when the Palestinians believe the time is right. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, facing U.S. pressure to agree to such talks, has said he first wants progress in U.S.-mediated, indirect negotiations that began two months ago with the Arab League's blessing. Abbas briefed the Arab League's peace process committee in Cairo on Thursday about the indirect talks, which will end in Septe...

Israeli police allowed Jewish extremists to enter the grounds of the mosque and then shielded them from attack by Palestinians defending the mosque. After the eviction of the settlers by Muslim worshipers, the occupation forces turned on the crowds. Arab League Denounces the Israeli Aggression, Seeks to Form an International Investigation Committee Arab League denounced on Sunday the brutal aggression on Al-Aqsa Mosque by the Israeli settlers, calling on the International Security Council and UN Secretary-General to immediately intervene to stop the dangerous violation committed by the Israeli occupation forces. A statement by Palestine and the Occupied Arab lands Section at the Arab League stressed that the Israeli security forces facilitated the arrival of many of the Zionist extremists to Al-Aqsa Mosque courtyards, particularly Bab of al-Maghariba. more The attack on al-Aqsa follows an attack last week on the Ibrahimi mosque in Hebron: Ma’an – At least 140 Israeli settlers, protect...