CAIRO, Oct. 3 (Xinhuanet) -- Arab League (AL) decided Sunday at an emergency meeting to refer the Israeli military operations in the Palestinian territories to the United Nations Security Council, Egypt's official MENA news agency reported.

    The agency quoted AL chief Amr Moussa as telling a press conference that the AL decided to hold immediate contacts with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, the European Union and African Union to stop what he called Israel's inhuman attacks which violates the international law.

    Moussa said Arab states would also urge the quartet, namely the United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia, to deal with the situation to bring peace to the Middle East.

    He added the AL also decided to seek urgent aid from the Arab and international Red Crescent societies due to the dangerous situation in the Palestinian territories.

    On Wednesday, Palestinian militants killed two Israeli children in the town of Sderot in a rocket attack. Since then, Israel has stepped up its military operations in the northern Gaza Strip, killing at least 57 Palestinians, including some civilians. Three more Israelis were also killed in this round of violence.

    The AL emergency meeting was held in Cairo Sunday at the request of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). Enditem