RIYADH (Reuters):

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah called yesterday for an end to the international blockade on the Palestinian Government to help revive efforts to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict at the heart of the region's problems.

Addressing the Arab summit in Riyadh, world and Muslim leaders offered support for a 2002 Arab peace plan being revived at the two-day meeting and echoed the king's call for Arabs to unite to end sectarian violence driving Iraq towards civil war.

"It has become necessary to end the unjust blockade imposed on the Palestinian people as soon as possible so that the peace process can move in an atmosphere far from oppression and force," King Abdullah said at the opening of the summit.