Arab League slams Israeli siege of Gaza; toll 1,100

Arab foreign ministers Wednesday denounced Israel's siege of Gaza following the shock attack by Palestinian fighters on Israel, demanding that aid be "immediately" allowed to enter the blockaded enclave.Israel has imposed a "complete siege" on the Gaza Strip, cutting off the water supply, food, electricity and other essential supplies.Meeting at Arab League headquarters in Cairo, Arab foreign ministers discussed the ongoing war and demanded Israel lift its siege of Gaza.They also called for the "immediate" dispatch of food, fuel and humanitarian aid to the impoverished and densely populated coastal enclave.Air strikes have struck residential buildings, mosques, factories and shops, said Salama Marouf of the Gaza government's media office.Israel has reported 1,200 deaths since Saturday's onslaught by the Palestinian resistance fighters while Gaza officials speak of more than 1,100 people killed in Israel air and artillery strikes.Some 535 residential buildings had been destroyed leaving around 250,000 homeless, Hamas officials said.The United Nations Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) said it was seeking $104mn for life-saving aid to Gaza."UNRWA is urgently seeking US$ 104mn to enable its multi-sectoral humanitarian response over the coming 90 days," a statement said.At least four Palestinians were killed as armed Israeli settlers attacked a town south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry said.The latest fatalities bring to 29 the Palestinian death toll in the West Bank in violence related to the conflict.Israel formed an emergency unity government yesterday as its jets pounded Gaza and tanks massed around the Palestinian enclave.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to form a war cabinet with former defence minister and centrist opposition party leader Benny Gantz and focus entirely on the conflict.A report from Washington said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken headed to Israel yesterday on a Middle East mission to prevent a wider conflict.Blinken was due to meet senior Israeli officials, possibly including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to discuss further boosting military support.