Arab foreign ministers met in Cairo on Wednesday to seek a common position in response to Israeli attacks which have killed more than 370 people in Gaza. Pressure has been mounting on Arab leaders to act decisively to stop Israel's five-day old military operation in Gaza.
The Arab world is deeply divided in its attitude towards the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, which controls Gaza and is the main target of the Israeli assault.

Israel has rejected an immediate 48-hour cease-fire with Hamas, saying it will push ahead with its military assault on the Gaza Strip. Israeli officials say Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and his defense and foreign ministers made the decision after discussing the French-proposed truce during a meeting overnight.

The pro-Hamas activists sailing on "The Dignity" relief boat were rammed by an Israeli ship. They did not heed the warnings by the Israelis to turn back away from the war zone. The former Green Party candidate Cynthia McKinney is reported to be in the boat. Our calls to the Green Party did not result in any extra information. The person who picked up the phone said the press officer is out of the country.

Defense Minister of Israel Ehud Barak declared that Israel was in an "all-out war against Hamas." Speaking in Monday morning's special Knesset session on the war, Barak said, "We have nothing against Gaza residents but we are engaged in an all-out war against Hamas and its proxies."

There have been demonstrations throughout Israel to protest the operation in Gaza -- mainly near arab areas in Haifa, Teybeh, Tira, Qalansuwa and Jaljulia. On HaGefen street in Haifa , some four hundred residents -- both arabs and Jews are demonstrating. In the arab village of Furadis, some three hundred residents are protesting the Gaza operation.

With today's news of IDF air strikes abruptly ending the lives of some 140+ Gazans, I can't help but feel an abject sense of horror at the fact that most Americans will probably find some way to blame the Palestinians for bringing this on themselves.

Muslim Brotherhood Deputy Chairman Mohamed Habib slammed the deadly attacks on Gaza that were launched by Israeli occupation on Saturday leaving dozens dead and wounded.

Arab foreign ministers will hold an emergency meeting in Cairo on Sunday or Monday to take a common position on Israeli raids which killed over 170 people in Gaza Strip, the Arab League chief said on Saturday. At the same time Libya, the only Arab country on the U.N. Security Council, will seek an urgent meeting of the council, Secretary-General Amr Moussa was quoted as saying by Reuters.

The airforce has launched a wide air attack on Hamas installations in the Gaza Strip. Both F-16 fighter planes and helicopters were involved.

Palestinian medical officials say Israeli airstrikes on Hamas compounds in the Gaza Strip have killed at least 155 people.

On Thursday Prime Minister Olmert issued a last minute appeal to Palestinians in Gaza to reject their Hamas rulers and stop rocket fire at Israel. He warned them Israel would not hesitate to use force.

The U.N.'s top human rights official says the Israeli blockade of Gaza is depriving Palestinians of their most basic human rights.