BEIRUT, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- Hezbollah's head of international relations Nawaf Mousawi said Saturday that Arab leaders should take urgent steps against Israel's attack on Gaza.

    Mousawi criticized the Arab "suspicious silence" which will have its impact on the whole Arab nations by losing Jerusalem and Palestine.

    He urged Arab people to resent the collaboration of their leaders, and go to the streets to pressure their leaders for urgent steps.

    "It is an American-Israeli war supported by Arab regimes aimed at pressuring the Palestinian people to extinguish their cause," Mousawi was quoted as saying by the party's Al-Manar TV.

    Hezbollah carried out several parades earlier this month in Lebanon, protesting the sufferings of the Palestinian people by the blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt.

    Hezbollah second-in-command Sheikh Naim Qasem called for armed resistance to lift the imposed blockade.

    The Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip, which started on Saturday morning, has killed at least 155 Palestinians including civilians and children.    

Jordan calls for Arab League emergency meeting

    AMMAN, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- Jordan on Saturday called for an emergency meeting of Arab League council as Gaza Strip is under heavy air bombardment from Israel, according to foreign ministry.

    Jordanian Foreign Minister Salahiddin Al Bashir made phone calls with a number of Arab foreign ministers as well as Arab League Secretary General Amr Musa to discuss Israeli aggression on Gaza Strip.  Full story

Palestinian president calls on Israel to halt Gaza strikes

    GAZA, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday condemned Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip which killed more than 140 Palestinians and wounded 200.

    "President Abbas strongly condemns this harsh aggression that Israel is waging now against the Gaza Strip," said Nabil Abu Rdineh, spokesman for the Palestinian presidency. Full story

Egypt to open Rafah crossing after Israeli raids across Gaza

    CAIRO, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- Egypt has decided to open the Rafah crossing at its border with the Palestinian territory of the Gaza Strip to receive wounded Palestinians following Israeli air strikes across the Palestinian enclave, the Qatari al-Jazeera satellite channel reported on Saturday.

    The Egyptian side will open the border crossing to receive Palestinians wounded in the Israeli strikes for treatment, Governor of the Egyptian govern orate of North Sinai Mohamed Shousha told the pan-Arab channel. Full story