ARABS HAIL CLOSER TIES OVER GAZA

KUWAIT CITY, Jan 21 (Bernama) -- Just as the Malaysian prime minister
travels to the Gulf region to solidify their ties with Malaysia, Arab leaders
emerged from a first-ever summit here, optimistic of closer ties in the light of
the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip.

While pledging to help rebuild the devastated coastal enclave, the leaders
called on the Palestinian factions to put aside their differences and work
towards reconciliation.

Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, who had pledged to contribute
US$1 biilion to the Gaza reconstruction fund, pleaded to the Palestinian
leaders when he spoke at the Arab Economic Summit here Monday:

"For honesty's sake, I must say to my Palestinian brothers that their
dispute is more threatening to their cause than the Israeli invasion," he said.

For Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who has been leading
Malaysia's drive in highlighting the Palestinian plight in the international
fora, the situation in Gaza would definitely feature in his talks during the
six-day trip.

He is now in Qatar after visiting Bahrain and will travel to the United Arab
Emirates on Wednesday before returning home.

In its front-page report headlined 'Leaders mend fences at summit", the
Kuwaiti Times reported that Arab leaders meeting in Kuwait Monday, appeared
to have healed a rift in ties exposed by Israel's deadly offensive on the Gaza
Strip.

A reconciliation has been achieved among Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and
Syria, the daily quoted Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem Al-Thani
as telling the Doha-based satellite television, Al-Jazeera.

Leaders of the four states and host country Kuwait held a meeting at the
residence of King Abdullah, following the opening session of the summit.

The Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, opened the
summit with a call for collective Arab measures, setting out "practical steps to
stabilise the ceasefire" in the Gaza Strip.

Sharp disagreements have hampered the Arab response to Israel's offensive in
the Gaza Strip, with some nations calling for strong action while others
preferring a moderate approach.

Israel announced a cease-fire on Sunday, after 22 days of air strikes and
ground operations which left more than 1,300 Palestinians dead, 5,300 injured
and thousands of residential buildings reduced to rubble.

Sheikh Sabah announced that Kuwait would donate US$500 million to kick-start
Arab developmental projects under the supervision of the Arab Fund for Economic
and Social Development.

He also announced that Kuwait would donate US$34 million to the United
Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestinian refugees in the Middle East.

The Emir also called on the Palestinian leaderships to see past their
differences and unite for the sake of the Palestinian people.

Apart from the Saudi monarch, the summit was attended by leaders such as
Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, the King of
Jordan Abdullah II and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who all called on
the Palestinians to unite.

The summit was held under the slogan, 'Solidarity with Gaza'.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, due to visit Gaza Tuesday,
also spoke at the summit, calling on the Arab leaders to join together in
backing Abbas in his efforts to reunite the war-ravaged Gaza Strip with the West
Bank.

He said Arab unity was crucial to prevent a recurrence of the three-week
Gaza conflict.

"The Palestinians themselves, must face the challenge of reconciliation, and
work to achieve a unified government under the leadership of President
Abbas...we cannot rebuild Gaza without Palestinian unity," he said.
-- BERNAMA