Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Monday at the Arab economic summit that though ceasefire has been reached in the Gaza Strip, there would be no end of violence as long as the Israeli forces remain in Gaza.

Addressing the first-ever Arab Economic, Social and Development Summit, al-Assad said the Israeli siege on Gaza is still going on, and the Israeli intentions towards the Arab world would not change.

He called on the Arab nations to support the Gaza Palestinians in the "fight for their own honorable military and political rights", and urged for Arab aid and assistance to Gaza to the reconstruction of the impoverished enclave.

The Syrian president stressed that the division among Palestinians have made the Israeli aggression easier, which also reflected the Arab division, expressing his hope that Palestinians would overcome their division through ending the violence in Gaza, seeking the pullout of Israeli forces, lifting the blockade and opening border crossings.

Al-Assad also called on Arab nations to take further steps to promote the Arab economic integration and respond to the global financial crisis, saying integration can ensure less losses and protect Arab economies from future crises.

Heads of state and other officials of Arab nations, together with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, started the summit with the slogan of "In Solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza" on Monday noon to tackle the Gaza crisis in addition to the impact of global financial crisis and inter-Arab developmental issues.

(Xinhua News Agency January 20, 2009)