JEDDAH, Nov 18: International opinion has started to turn against Israel after its army killed Palestinian civilians this month, Arab and Muslim officials said in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

“There is growing international resentment over Israel's actions and policies ... We must take advantage of this change to stop Israel acting like a country above the law,” said Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, secretary-general of the 57-nation Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC).

He urged a meeting of the Saudi-based body to organise diplomatic action to help Palestinians.

The UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly on Friday to deplore a deadly Israeli artillery attack in Gaza earlier this month, defying a US veto which blocked similar condemnation at the UN Security Council.

On Nov 8 Israeli shelling killed 19 Palestinian civilians at Beit Hanoun in the Gaza Strip, part of the ongoing military operations against Palestinian militants.

Mr Ihsanoglu said the OIC had been instrumental in mobilising Islamic and non-Western states against a US-Israeli alliance at the United Nations.

He also pointed to a new European drive to restart peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. Israel has resisted peace talks because the Islamic militant group Hamas won Palestinian Authority elections this year.

France, Spain and Italy said this week they would try to revive the moribund peace process.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmoud al-Zahar said that the defeat of President George W. Bush's Republican Party in mid-term elections was another sign that the wind was blowing the Arabs’ way.

Voter anger over Iraq helped oust Bush's Republicans from power in Congress in the Nov 7 elections.

“Things have turned around ... There are major new factors involved, including the American retreat in military terms and in Congress, and new Arab-Islamic action,” Mr Zahar said.

“Instead of plans being proposed to us that do not meet the Palestinian people's needs, internationally accepted Arab proposals are being made,” he said, referring to a 2002 Arab land-for-peace offer welcomed in Europe and which some Israeli officials recently said could be a basis for talks.

“If we develop this, we could take the initiative in the Palestinian issue out of America's hands and into those of the international community, which is fairer.”

—Reuters