PLO Official calls on Israel to end Gaza Blockade

Tuesday November 25, 2008 07:47 by IMEMC & Agencies

An official in Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) on Sunday called on Israel to end the complete blockade on the narrow enclave of the Gaza Strip that has been for 18 days.

Dr. Saeb Ereikat

Dr. Saeb Ereikat, head of negotiations' affairs at the Palestinian Authority said in a statement that Israel should show real commitment to a mutual truce and has to be committed to ending the blockade and reopening the closed crossing points.

Following the homemade shells attacks on southern Israel , the latter closed down all Gaza commercial crossing points on Nov.15, which led the poor densely populated enclave to a real humanitarian crisis.

"President Mahmoud Abbas is exerting every possible effort to reinforce the Egyptian-brokered truce which came into effect on June 19, because this would serve the national Palestinian interests," said Ereikat.

Earlier Sunday, Hamas movement announced that it accepted an Israeli proposal conveyed by Egypt to get back to the truce and stop rockets attacks on Israel in order to reopen Gaza commercial crossing points.

Ereikat called on the leaders of the Palestinian factions and their armed wings "to keep the truce and reinforce it in order to end the ongoing suffering of more than one million and a half people in the Gaza Strip."

Meanwhile, deposed Hamas government, which rules Gaza for more than a year and a half, called on Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa "to make an immediate visit to the besieged Gaza Strip."

A governmental committee belongs to Hamas government in Gaza said in a statement sent to reporters that "Musa is urged to move on all levels to save the Gaza Strip which has been under a full tight blockade for 18 days."

"The Gaza Strip residents are living a real massacre. They became without food, without bread, without medicine, without electricity and fuel," said the committee's statement.

gaza strip | palestinian politics | news report george at imemc dot org