( dpa )- Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh on Monday called on his fellow Arab leaders to hold an emergency summit to discuss the Israeli lockdown of the Gaza Strip and military operations in the area, the state news agency reported.
In a phone call to Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa , Saleh urged a meeting at the foreign minister level to prepare for an Arab summit early in February.
He called Israeli actions in Gaza "insulting to all Arabs," the report said.
Israel had cut off shipments of fuel to the only power plant in the Gaza Strip and closed border crossings to the territory since Friday. On Monday, it authorized a one-time fuel shipment, but Defence Minister Ehud Barak said Israel would continue to apply pressure on Gaza to stop rocket attacks into its territory. Israel has also stepped up military operations in Gaza.