Gaza conflict show Arab League fissures

CAIRO, Jan. 1 (UPI) -- The escalating Israeli-Hamas conflict has exposed divisions among Arab League members meeting in Cairo to devise a response to the fighting, observers said.

Moderate states, generally allied with the United States, blamed disunity among Palestinian leaders, while more hard-line countries -- some of which did not attend the emergency meeting -- called for action against Israel for its airstrikes on Gaza, The New York Times reported Thursday.

The Arab League met in emergency session Wednesday to try to formulate a plan to help end the fighting in Gaza and restore a cease-fire that expired in mid-December. Egypt also has asked for help from Turkey, which has close ties to Israel, the Times said.

The plan calls for an immediate, unconditional end the fighting, followed by a long-term truce between Hamas and Israel and international monitors to guarantee the cease-fire is honored, the Times said. Another condition is the opening border crossings into Gaza, which Israel basically have kept closed since 2007.

Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal criticized the Palestinians for their failure to remain united behind Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah. His comments were viewed as a swipe at Hamas, which took control of Gaza in 2007 after a brief, violent civil war with Abbas's Fatah party, the Times said.

Other countries, such as Syria and Libya, have criticized Arab nations for not doing enough to help Gazans, and protests against the airstrikes have occurred in cities in the Middle East and elsewhere.