Meshaal asks Turkey to stop 'Israeli aggression'

Hamas said that the head of its political bureau, Khaled Meshaal, spoke to Turkish Foreign Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, on the phone and discussed the “developments of the Israeli escalation in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip”.

A statement issued by Hamas today said that Meshaal briefed Davutoglu on the continuous Israeli violations against the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.

Meshaal called on the Turkish Foreign Minister to move quickly, together with the international community, to stop the Israeli attacks in the West Bank and lift the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli army is undertaking a wide operation in the West Bank in search of three Israeli settlers who disappeared on June 12 from an area near the settlement of Gush Etzion, north of Hebron.

Since the disappearance of the three settlers, the Israeli army has waged a campaign of mass arrests of Palestinians, most of whom are leaders and activists in the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas.

No Palestinian group has claimed responsibility for the settlers’ kidnap, but the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he held Hamas responsible for the abduction. The movement has rejected the claim.

Israel launches raids on Gaza which it claims to be in response to rockets fired at Israel by Palestinians from within the Strip.