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Paleos Declare State of Emergency in Gaza
The Palestinian cabinet has declared a state of emergency in the Palestinian territories after a massive raid by Israeli occupation forces in the Gaza Strip. Fifty-three Palestinians have been killed, most of them in Gaza, since Israel launched its latest offensive, Operation Days of Reckoning, this week. About 200 tanks and armoured vehicles have been operating in the area since Tuesday. "The cabinet has declared a state of emergency throughout the Palestinian territories in order to come to the aid of the people of the Gaza Strip, victims of horrible crimes committed by the Israeli army," a statement issued by the Palestinian cabinet said. All ministries and public institutions were called on to concentrate their efforts on providing assistance to the people of Gaza. At the same time, officials said Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmad Quraya had cancelled a trip to Russia and Turkey in order to attend an emergency cabinet session to be held later in the day. Denouncing what it called "world silence in the face of the magnitude of crimes committed," the statement called on the international quartet that drafted a Middle East peace plan last year to "intervene immediately to ensure the protection of our people". The statement also called on international humanitarian organisations to provide aid to people in the Gaza Strip, notably in the Jabalya refugee camp, which has been a focal point of fighting this week. Posted by: Fred 2004-10-02 |
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