CAIRO: The Arab League on Sunday condemned the Israeli raids on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and called on the international community to put pressure on the Jewish state to halt the strikes.

The pan-Arab organisation “calls on the international community to pressure the Israeli occupation authorities to put an immediate end to this assault,” a statement from the League said.

It said it “calls on the (UN) Security Council to assume its responsibilities and take quick steps to halt this brutal assault.”

The statement was issued after an emergency meeting of the Cairo-based pan-Arab body on the situation in Gaza where 15 Palestinians have been killed and 50 injured in air strikes by Israel in retaliation to series of attacks Thursday in southern Israel which killed eight people.

The Arab League also condemned “Israeli aggression against the Egyptian forces”, referring to the deaths of Egyptian policemen killed Thursday as Israeli troops chased militants along the border.

The Arab League has confirmed its support to the Palestinians who aim to seek membership of the United Nations next month.

The Palestinians have said they will formally submit their request for UN membership to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on September 20 when world leaders begin gathering in New York for the 66th session of the General Assembly.