Israeli policy is 'based on genocide'

Cario: The Arab League condemned Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip as "crimes against humanity" on Wednesday.

Arab foreign ministers said they "strongly condemn the barbaric crimes that the Israeli occupation forces committed in Gaza and the rest of the occupied Palestinian territories".

Meeting to prepare for an Arab summit in Syria this month that is expected to focus on Gaza and Lebanon, the ministers said in a statement they were "recording these Israeli crimes as crimes of war and crimes against humanity".

Arab League Secretary-General Amr Mousa said: "The criminal aggression against Gaza shows that Israeli policy against the Palestinian people is based on genocide and ethnic cleansing." The Arab ministers called on Palestinians to end internal divisions. Islamist Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip from Abbas's Fatah faction in June.

The March 29-30 Arab summit in Damascus is expected also to deal with the political deadlock in Lebanon, which has been without a president since November due to a power struggle between the Western-backed government and pro-Syria opposition.

Summit invitations

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Mua'alem said in Cairo that Lebanon and Saudi Arabia would be invited to attend the summit.

Syria has already invited all other Arab League members, politicians say.

Syria has strained ties with the government of Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and had said it would wait until Lebanon elected a new president before inviting Beirut and Riyadh to the summit.

The Lebanese presidential vote has been postponed 15 times since September. The election is now due on March 11.

Egyptian state news agency Mena reported Mua'alem, speaking late on Tuesday, said "if a Lebanese president is not elected before the Arab summit, then Lebanon will choose who will represent it".