Ban-Ki Moon urges Israel to reconsider its decision that Gaza is an enemy entity

Thursday September 20, 2007 08:56 by Rami Almeghari - IMEMC & Agencies rami at imemc dot org

United Nations Secretary General, Ban-Ki Moon, urged the Israeli occupation government on Wednesday to reconsider its decision ‘Gaza is an enemy entity’, saying that interrupting essential services such as electricity and fuel, to the Gaza Strip, contravenes Israel’s obligations under international law.

In a statement, Ki-Moon added “There are 1.4 million people in Gaza, including the old, the young and the sick , who are already suffering from the impact of the closure. They should not be punished”.

Mr. Ban noted “the continued indiscriminate rocket fire from Gaza into Israel is unacceptable and I deplore it. I call for it to stop immediately. I understand Israel’s security concerns over this matter.”

UN officials have expressed concern repeatedly in recent months that the closure of border crossings and other restrictions in Gaza have cut exports and forced factories to shut, leaving tens of thousands of Palestinians in the territory without jobs or income.

The Israeli cabinet announced yesterday it would consider Gaza ‘an enemy entity’, and that it is considering imposition of some sanctions such as cutting off electricity and fuel supplies, further reducing working hours at crossing points.

Both the Palestinian Presidnet Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah and the Islamist Hamas government in Gaza called the new Israeli announcement ‘ a policy of collective punishment’ .

Hamas government’ spokesman, Taher Nunu, said his government will start worldwide contacts to prevent the decision from being implemented on the ground.

The announcement came concurrent with a visit by the United States Secretary of States, Condoleezza Rice to both Palestine and Israel, to pave the way for the Washington-backed conference on Middle East peace, scheduled for this November.

Tension in the region has been recently high, as Palestinian resistance’ homemade shells hit an Israeli army base in southern Israel, while Israel continued attacks on Palestinians in both the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

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