Arabs condemn Qana 'massacre'
2006-07-30 17:03
Cairo - An Israeli air strike on the Lebanese village of Qana which killed 51 people on Sunday, including 25 children, drew a barrage of fierce condemnation in the Middle East.
Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa issued a statement in which he "strongly condemned Israel's ongoing barbaric attacks on Lebanon, the latest of which is the attack on the village of Qana".
He called for "an international investigation into this massacre and others of Israeli war crimes committed in Lebanon".
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, whose country has been involved in diplomatic efforts to defuse the crisis, called Israel's attack "irresponsible" and reiterated his call for an immediate ceasefire.
UN resolution needed
"The Arab Republic of Egypt is highly disturbed and condemns the irresponsible Israeli attack on the Lebanese village of Qana which led to the loss of innocent victims, most of which were women and children," he said.
Egypt stressed "the need for a serious international effort to issue an urgent security council resolution to stop military attacks immediately," Mubarak said in a statement.
Death toll
The Lebanese government said 750 people have been killed, most of them civilians, and more than 2 000 wounded in Lebanon since Israel launched its air, land and sea offensive.
Jordan, the only other Arab country to have a peace treaty with the Jewish state, also strongly condemned the raid, Israel's deadliest since it launched its offensive in Lebanon following the capture of two soldiers on July 12.
"This criminal aggression is a flagrant violation of international laws," said Jordan's King Abdullah II in a statement.
Iran blames Rice
For its part, Iran blamed the bloody attack on the visit of the US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice to the region.
"The result of Rice's trip to the region is the Qana massacre," foreign ministry spokesperson Hamid Reza Asefi said.
"Zionist regime officials as well as some US statesmen should be put on trial for the crimes they commit," he added.
Call for immediate ceasefire
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas also condemned the attack and asked the United Nations to oversee an immediate ceasefire, top Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat told AFP.
"Abu Mazen (Abbas) has called the Lebanese president and prime minister and offered his deepest condolences (for) the victims of the crime that was committed by Israel in Qana which he condemned in the strongest possible terms," he said.
The Palestinians have also been weathering a massive Israeli military assault which was launched against the Gaza Strip following the seizure of another soldier and has left nearly 150 people dead.