Haniya briefs King of Bahrain, Emir of Qatar on Gaza conditions

[ 21/12/2008 - 04:24 PM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

Ismail Haniya, the premier of the PA caretaker government, has telephoned each of the Bahraini King and the Qatari Emir last night and Sunday morning respectively to brief them on Palestinian developments.

Taher Al-Nunu, spokesman for the government, said that Haniya last night reached King Hamad Bin Issa Al-Khalifa and congratulated him on the occasion of his country's national day.

Nunu said that Haniya briefed the monarch on latest Palestinian developments in the light of the Israeli escalation of aggression and tightening siege on Gaza Strip that is witnessing human tragedies.

The spokesman said that the premier on Sunday contacted the Emir of Qatar, Shaikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, and also congratulated him on his country's national day.

Haniya briefed Shaikh Hamad on latest political developments in the Palestinian arena and expressed appreciation for the Qatari initiative in sending medical assistance to Gaza by sea, Nunu said, adding that Haniya expressed hope, during the telephone conversation, that the step would expand into a greater and serious Arab moves to break the siege.

Lebanese ship to set sail to Gaza in two weeks

[ 21/12/2008 - 04:01 PM ]

BEIRUT, (PIC)--

The Lebanese "Fraternity" vessel is to set sail from Lebanon to Gaza on 3rd January 2009 carrying medical and food consignments along with representatives of various public institutions and forces.

Coordinator of the Lebanese national committee to break the siege on Gaza Mu'in Bashour told the fifth meeting of the committee that contacts were ongoing with activists in Egypt, Algeria, Jordan, Sudan and Bahrain to coordinate the sail of ships from those Arab countries together from Larnaca port to Gaza.

He said that the ships would carry a number of messages the first to the people of Gaza that they are not alone, and the second to the official Arab regimes that they should bear their historic responsibility towards breaking the siege, and third to the silent international community regarding the siege on one and a half million Palestinians.

Coordinator of the sea voyage to Gaza Dr. Hani Sulaiman said that hundreds have contacted him to volunteer and participate in the sea trip.

He added that the committee would choose a number of them in accordance with certain standards that would serve the humanitarian and media purposes of the voyage.

Hamas: Arrival of Qatari boat qualitative step

[ 20/12/2008 - 04:06 PM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

Hamas on Saturday described the arrival of "Dignity" boat in Gaza with Qatari medical assistance as a "qualitative move towards breaking the oppressive siege imposed on one and a half million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip".

Fawzi Barhoum, a Hamas spokesman in Gaza, thanked the Qatari Eid charitable society for its courageous and challenging act.

He noted that the Qatari step came at a time the Palestinian people are the victim of an Israeli massacre with unlimited American support in a bid to subdue them and endorse "Zio-American projects on the ruins of our people's rights and constants".

The spokesman hoped that the Qatari act would herald the start of greater official and popular Arab support to enforce the breaking of the siege.