Home
Discover Islam
Quran Recitations
Lectures
Fatwa
Articles
Fiqh
E-Books
Women
Boys & Girls 
Ramadan
Fatwa Audios
Month of Mercy
Women
Eed Al- Fitr
Food Recipes
Videos
Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president, has urged all Arab nations to sever diplomatic ties with Israel because of the Gaza war.
- Section:
WORLD HEADLINES
- Ramadan WORLD HEADLINES
Syria: 'Cut all ties with Israel'
Addressing leaders at Friday's emergency Arab summit in Doha, the Qatari capital, al-Assad declared that the Arab initiative for peace with Israel was now "dead".
Al-Assad said Arab countries should cut "all direct and indirect" ties with Israel in protest against its offensive in Gaza.
"Syria has decided that indirect peace negotiations with Israel will be halted," he said.
His comments were echoed by Khaled Meshaal, the exiled leader of Hamas, the Palestinian group that controls the Gaza Strip.
Meshaal also called on Arab leaders to cut all ties with Israel, stressing Hamas would not accept Israeli conditions for a ceasefire.
Ceasefire offer
Hamas has proposed a year-long, renewable ceasefire if Israel immediately ends its offensive in Gaza and lifts its crippling blockade of the territory.
Israel wants to ensure that Hamas, and other Palestinian fighters, will not be able to re-arm during any truce.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish prime minister, told delegates Israel should be barred from the United Nations while it continues to ignore UN demands to end the fighting in Gaza.
"How is such a country, which totally ignores and does not implement resolutions of the UN Security Council, allowed to enter through the gates of the UN?" he said.
Erdogan's comments came hours ahead of Friday's official visit to Turkey by Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary general.
The Turkish leader also added his voice to widespread condemnation of Israel's bombing of a UN compound in Gaza on Thursday.
"The UN building in Gaza was hit while the UN secretary general was in Israel... this is an open challenge to the world, teasing the world," he said.
Diplomatic efforts to broker a ceasefire have intensified over recent days with emergency meetings being held in Qatar, Turkey, Kuwait and Egypt.
The UN secretary-general also visited the West Bank on Friday and Tzipi Livni, Israel's foreign minister, is flying to the US for talks.
PHOTO CAPTION
Syrian President Bashar Assad attends the emergency Arab leaders summit on Gaza in Doha, Qatar, Friday, Jan. 16, 2009.
Al-Jazeera
Related Articles
Prayer Times
Prayer times for Doha, Qatar Other?
-
Fajr
04:36 AM -
Dhuhr
11:46 AM -
Asr
03:07 PM -
Maghrib
05:37 PM -
Isha
07:07 PM
