Region | Lebanon

Lebanese citizens outraged by Israel attacks

Calls made for the Arab community to cut oil supplies to the world to protest the massacre.

  • By Bassam Za'za', Senior Reporter
  • Published: 23:31 December 28, 2008
  • Gulf News

  • A Lebanese boy holds a toy gun and a copy of the Quran during a demonstration by Islamic groups to protest Israel's attacks in the Gaza Strip.
  • Image Credit: AP

Beirut: The Lebanese community has strongly condemned Israel's attacks on Palestinian civilians which killed more than 270 people in the Gaza strip on Saturday, and called on Arabs to terminate all ties with Israel.

A cross-section of Lebanese citizens told Gulf News they were angered by the attacks and called on Palestinian factions to unite and fight Israel as a united front.

They also demanded Arab leaders cut diplomatic ties and freeze all peace talks, direct or indirect, with Israelis.

Ahmad Hasan, a retired government employee said: "What the Israelis are doing in the Gaza Strip is a crime against humanity. The Arab countries, united, at least politically, should exert pressure on Israel and threaten to halt supplying the world with oil and petrol as in 1973 during late Saudi King Faisal Bin Abdul Aziz's era."

Hasan maintained the attacks would never have occurred had Palestinian factions been united on the domestic front.

A 25-year-old policy expert, Nadim Ahmad, said the attacks were a result of polarisation on the international and regional fronts.

Hala Tannir, a 45-year-old administrator, said she wept when she saw the attacks.

Tannir said: "I felt useless and powerless from what I saw... Where are the Muslims and Arabs how can they leave such children and women be slaughtered?"

She called on the international community to intervene and attacked the Arab community for procrastinating on Israel.

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