CAIRO, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- About 12 to 13 Arab leaders began an emergencysummit on Friday afternoon as scheduled despite it did not reach the quorum of two thirds of the 22-member Arab League to hold such a summit.

Hamas top political leader exile in Damascus Khaled Meshaal attended the summit, representing the Palestinian side, according to al-Jazeera TV.

According to the live broadcast, Meshaal said the Israeli aggression will be destroyed and on behalf of the whole Palestinians, he extendedappreciation to the people in Gaza who resist the aggression.

He said it is unacceptable for Gaza to be sieged and blockaded.

He also urged the emir of Qatar to set up a fund to hold the people in Gaza.

Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is also showing up at the meeting which aims to form a united Arab stance toward ongoing Israel offensive on the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

The summit was held as scheduled despite it did not reach the quorum of two thirds of the 22-member Arab League to hold such a summit with regional heavyweights Egypt and Saudi Arabia refusing to attend.
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