Sheikh Dr. Saleh Bin Abdullah Bin Humaid, chairman of the Shoura Council, called for a stop to Israeli aggression in the Gaza Strip as “the enemy occupying Arab lands and those supporting it” are turning the Arab crisis into full-blown conflicts and dividing the “Ummah”. Bin Humaid also called upon the international community “to shoulder the responsibilities in maintaining international peace and security” and to exert pressure on Israel to make it comply with the UN resolution calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire. “It should be more credible and effective to stop this barbaric, unjust and oppressive aggression against the unarmed (people in) Gaza Strip,” he said at the meeting of parliamentarians from the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) in Istanbul, Turkey. “The international community must take a serious stance to put a halt to the tyranny of the Israeli military machine (which is) carrying out its aggressive plans ... to achieve what it failed to achieve through the blockade and collective punishment .. on the citizens in Gaza Strip,” he was quoted by the SPA news agency as saying. He said the blockade has deprived the people in Gaza “their right to the simplest reqirement for human life, including water, electricity, foodstuff, medicines and energy supply,” “The international community must exert pressures on Israel to implement UN Security Council resolution 1860 that calls for the immediate and permanent ceasefire and total withdrawal from the Gaza Strip,” Bin Humaid said. The parliamentarians and speakers of Shoura Councils from the OIC member states met in Istanbul on Wednesday to seek joint action in support of the Palestinians facing a deadly Israeli offensive in Gaza. Erol Kilic, the Turkish secretary-general of the OIC's parliamentary assembly, urged a joint appeal encouraging Muslim nations to back the Palestinians, pursue Israel before international tribunals and seek compensation for “the immense destruction and loss of human life.” He also suggested that a delegation of OIC parliamentarians travel to Gaza to demonstrate support for the Palestinians and coordinate the distribution of humanitarian aid. Iranian Assembly Speaker Ali Larijani condemned the “crime against humanity” committed by Israel and said it must “pay the price” for its actions and called on Muslim countries to sever ties with the Jewish state. Larijani remained non-commital when asked about a possible Iranian call for sanctions against companies doing business with Israel: “There are of course some suggestions and we also have some,” he said. Iran's state media reported Monday that the government had endorsed a bill to be put before parliament aiming to sanction foreign companies doing business with Israel. Israel stops Iran aid ship The Israeli navy intercepted an Iranian ship loaded with medicine, food and clothing destined for Gaza and forced the vessel to Egypt instead, Iran's state television reported Wednesday. The head of the humanitarian aid group sponsoring the ship, Ahmad Navabi, said in comments aired on television Wednesday that the Israeli navy approached the cargo ship, Shahed, just 20 miles (30 kilometers) off the coast of Gaza at dawn Wednesday, and ordered it to turn back. Israeli military officials said the ship was prevented from reaching Gaza as part of a general naval blockade meant to prevent weapons smuggling, and not due to the boat's Iranian origins. The Israeli officials said an Israeli naval ship approached the vessel, conveyed by radio the message of the blockade of Gaza, and told the crew they would not be allowed in. There was no clash, the Israeli officials said. Iranian state television broadcast what they said was a radio exchange between the Israeli navy and the Iranian ship in which the Israelis said: “Gaza is closed. Leave the area immediately.” The ship was carrying 2,000 tons of medicine, food and clothing to Palestinians living in Gaza. Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said later Wednesday that Iran will do what it can to get the ship to Gaza, state television reported. This is the first Iranian boat to try to reach Gaza during the siege. On Dec. 30, a boat carrying activists and medicines was also turned back.
