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Arab group calls for GA meeting on Gaza

NEW YORK, Aug 1 (KUNA) -- In his capacity as Chairman of the Arab group at the UN for July, Kuwaiti Permanent Representative Ambassador Mansour Ayyad Al-Otaibi requested a meeting of the General Assembly "as soon as possible" to hear various UN high-level officials on the deteriorating situation in Gaza.
In a letter to Assembly President John Ashe on Friday, Ambassador Al-Otaibi expressed hope that the President invite to the meeting Navi Pillay - the UN human right chief; Pierre Krahenbuhl - commissioner-general of UNRWA; Valerie Amos, UN top humanitarian official; and Robert Serry - the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process.
An Arab diplomat said the meeting will most probably take place next week because it takes time to gather all those officials in New York on the same day.
Speaking to KUNA, Ambassador Al-Otaibi expressed disappointment at the failure of the UN Security Council to stop the Israeli aggression and lift the siege on Gaza Strip.
"The statements issued by the Council so far don't live up to the tune of the humanitarian disaster in Gaza," he said, citing the failure of the Council to condemn the Israeli deadly attack on the UNRWA schools.
"The Arab group of states will continue lobbying for a Security Council resolution, based on the Arab League Council's resolution, to halt the Israeli aggression," he stressed.
A draft resolution is being discussed at the Security Council on the level of experts as a prelude to presenting it to a vote by the Council members. (end) sj.gb