Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro says he will convene a meeting of Arab leaders to coordinate reconstruction efforts for the war-torn Gaza Strip.
“Palestine deserves more,” Maduro stated on Wednesday, according to state news agency AVN.
The Venezuelan president’s call came following a meeting with the Palestinian representative in Caracas, Riad Al-Maliki.
Speaking to the press after the meeting, Maduro vowed to remain committed to defending Palestine against Israel’s “military aggression”.
“Our call, firstly, is to the Jewish people of the world, to be the first to reject this policy of extermination. The second call is to the governments of the Arab people,” he stated.
Hospitals, schools, homes and infrastructure have all been damaged by Israeli forces in recent weeks.
Almost 2,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli assault on Gaza, including hundreds of children. 64 Israeli soldiers were killed during a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip, and three civilians in Israel have been killed by rocket fire coming from the territory.
“The message we send to children, mothers and Palestinian families facing these attacks is love,” Maduro stated.
Aids plane sent
On Tuesday the first of two Venezuelan planes carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza left for Egypt, whose authorities have agreed to coordinate the operation to allow the aid to reach the Palestinian territory.
The aid, which includes medical supplies, non-perishable food, clothes and blankets, was donated by Venezuelan citizens and the government.
Maduro also hopes to bring child refugees of the conflict to Venezuela, where they can receive a protective environment and medical attention until they can be found new families and safely return to Palestine.
