Tehran - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Thursday blamed Arab leaders for not showing sufficient support for the Palestinians over the conflict on the Gaza Strip.

"The Arab League should face its responsibility" Ahmadinejad told reporters in a press conference in Tehran.

"If they (Arab leaders) have differences, today is not the day to deal with them but today is the day to fulfil their Islamic duties as every day of hesitation means the killing of more innocent people in Gaza," the president said.

Ahmadinejad said that the Arab leaders should get together and use their potential to stop the killings in Gaza.

"They must reply to God, the Prophet and history with regards to the bloodshed in Gaza," he warned.

Ahmadinejad said that cutting any ties with Israel was the "minimum expectation" from Arab governments and further called on a boycott of Israeli products.

"Those who buy Israeli products are de facto financing bullets and bombs which kill innocent people in Gaza," he said.

He said that the world was facing an important test of either standing on the side of killings and violations or on the side of those who support suppressed people and seek peace and justice.

Ahmadinejad termed the Israeli leaders as a "bunch of killers and wild dogs working ... with the aim of killing and exploiting regional states."

"This (Israeli) regime is definitely on the verge of collapse and there is no way - and has never been - that this regime can have co-existence with its neighbours," Ahmadinejad said.

The Iranian president once again blamed the United Nations Security Council for not confronting Israel and termed the latest UN resolution as vague "with no reference to those responsible for this massacre."

He also accused the United States and Britain to be the "main roots" of these crimes in Gaza, saying "you could not escape from the consequences of the massacre of innocent people."

Asked about boycotting oil exports to Israel's supporters. Ahmadinejad said that it would be a good idea, especially if Arab states joined the boycott, adding however that such a move was currently not on the agenda.

Earlier Thursday Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said that a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip was possible, official news agency IRNA reported.

"Some countries have changed their approach and have now a better understanding of the issue which (means we are) approaching ceasefire in Gaza," Larijani said after returning to Tehran from am emergency meeting of the Islamic Inter-Parliamentary Union (IIPU) in Turkey.

"There is room for optimism," the speaker said.

Larijani added that the IIPU was in contact with neighbouring states for the purpose of reconstructing Gaza following the opening of the blockade.

Iran is seen as an important backer of militant anti-Israeli forces in Gaza.

Meanwhile, Ahmadinejad called on Israeli soldiers to stop the killing of Palestinians in Gaza and disobey their commanders' orders.

"We are informed that there are some among you who have differences with your commanders and are tired of being misused for killing innocent people. It is time to stop," Ahmadinejad said in a public message on Thursday.

Without naming them, Ahmadinejad also criticized some Arab states "for supporting and tolerating the genocide in Gaza."

Ahmadinejad earlier urged the leaders of Egypt and Saudi Arabia to "open the lock of silence" and clarify their stance on the Gaza crisis and to state clearly whether they were on the Palestinian side or not.(dpa)