Thousands in UAE rally for besieged Palestinians

Dubai: Thousands of UAE residents on Friday marched in nationwide displays of solidarity with Palestinians under siege from Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip.

And thousands more donated a staggering Dh308 million through a national telethon to raise funds for humanitarian aid.

Rallies against the Israeli slaughter were held in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah, while similar demonstrations occurred throughout the Arab world and in countries as far as Chile, Indonesia and Norway.

For all, the message was clear: "We can't stop the war but the world must listen to us," said student Sara Hamad, protesting on the Abu Dhabi Corniche on Friday. "It's unbelievable that no one can stop the mad Israeli killing machine."

That killing machine continued to shed Palestinian blood as the Tel Aviv government rejected a UN resolution calling for a ceasefire.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert dismissed the binding Security Council resolution demanding an "immediate and durable" ceasefire as "unworkable".

Diplomats sounded the alarm that Egyptian-brokered truce talks launched last week might also be foundering. Two weeks on from the start of Operation Cast Lead, nearly 800 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces, according to Gaza medics.

Israel's air force said it hit more than 50 targets overnight.It's jets and tanks again pounded the Palestinian enclave yesterday

Hamas officials say they are weighing the UN resolution. One official said a delegation from Damascus would go to Cairo today to respond to the Egyptian ceasefire proposal. Hamas wants any ceasefire deal to include the ending of economic blockade and the withdrawal of all Israeli forces from the territory.