BEIRUT, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem on Tuesday called on Arab and Islamic countries to take practical steps in support of the Palestinian people in Gaza, amid ongoing Israeli military operations in the enclave.
"The responsibility lies with Arab and Islamic states, both governments and peoples," Qassem said in a statement released by the Lebanese National News Agency. "Choose whatever level of response you can, but do not remain spectators."
He described the Israeli campaign in Gaza as part of a broader U.S.-Israeli assault marked by "genocide, starvation, and mass killing," accusing both countries of exceeding all humanitarian and moral standards.
"It is not enough for countries to merely call for a ceasefire," he said. "What is needed are real measures -- sanctions, diplomatic isolation of Israel, and an end to all forms of cooperation with it."
He also called on Arab and Islamic nations to halt normalization efforts, shut down Israeli embassies, and organize humanitarian support for Gaza, saying a unified stance could shift U.S. policy.
Israel's military campaign in Gaza began in response to the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas and has resulted in more than 59,100 deaths and severe humanitarian suffering in the Palestinian enclave. ■
