A Ramallah cabinet member: the government ready to control Gaza's crossings.

Tuesday December 25, 2007 19:04 by Rami Almeghari - IMEMC

Palestinian information minister of the Ramallah-based government, Riyad aL-Malki, stated Tuesday that his government is ready to take over control over crossings in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, once Israel approves such a move.

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In a cabinet meeting today's afternoon, the Palestinian minister revealed that the Palestinian Authority has already prepared a plan to run Gaza's crossings without any coordination with the 'deposed' Hamas government over there.

Such an initiative has been announced by the cabinet's head, Salam Fayyad, during a recent donor countries meeting in Paris, Almalki made clear.

On another issues, the minister said that underway Palestinian-Israeli talks are focused on ensuring a halt of Israeli settlement activities on the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.

The financial aid that has been pledged by Paris conference will include the Hamas-controlled Gaza, minister aL-Malki maintained.

Spokesperson of Ramalla's cabinet, from his part, believed that the latest Paris conference has helped revive the Palestinian question by pledging a financial support to the Palestinian Authority.

In June, Hamas took over control over the coastal region amidst a power struggle with the President Abbas-led Fatah party.

Abbas outlawed Hamas and formed a Fatah-loyal government in Ramallah, which has been so far engaged in two separate pro-peace conferences the December17's Paris and the November27's U.S-hosted Annapolis summit

The Islamist Hamas, which the international community has boycotted since last January's Palestinian legislative elections, has not been invited to either of the said conferences, as Gaza has been going through a strict Israeli closure since mid June.

ramallah | palestinian politics | news report rami at imemc dot org