Sana'a, Yemen - A Yemeni official source said on Thursday that his country has retracted its support for an emergency summit by Arab leaders in Doha to discuss the Israeli offensive in Gaza.

"Yemen retracted the support it has announced for the Doha summit," the source, who requested anonymity, told Deutsche Presse- Agentur dpa.

He said the move was aimed at "avoiding a split among Arab countries that might be caused by the conflicting plans for summits to discuss the situation in Gaza."

The source said Yemen "urges Arab leaders to give Gaza a top priority in the Kuwait economic summit."

Qatar has asked the Arab League to convene an emergency Arab summit in Doha to discuss the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip.

On Tuesday, Yemen officially announced its support for the Qatari proposal.

The Kuwait summit, due Sunday, was initially scheduled to discuss the effects of the international financial crisis on Arab economies. (dpa)