Ahmed Yousuf: Imminent flare-ups if the world did not move urgently to end the siege of Gaza Strip

Yousef: Imminent flare-ups if the world did not move urgently to end the siege

[ 20/02/2008 - 05:06 PM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

Dr. Ahmed Yousuf, the political advisor to PA premier Ismail Haniya, on Wednesday warned that if the international community did not move seriously to end the siege on Gaza and try to communicate with Hamas, there would be imminent flare-ups surprising everyone.

In a statement received by the PIC, Dr. Yousuf pointed out that the Gaza Strip from the viewpoint of some people is a burnable powder keg not subject to mere calculations and logic of others, warning the international community not to wager on Gaza patience.

Regarding the issue of conducting a truce with Israel, the advisor stated that any calm with the Israeli occupation should be reciprocal and comprehensive and entail the ending of all forms of the siege imposed on Gaza.

The advisor reiterated that Hamas as a government and movement never thought to separate Gaza from the Palestinian land, re-stating that there is no state in Gaza and there is no state without Gaza.

The advisor underlined that many western analysts, politicians and media men understood lately the importance of reopening the crossings and warned from resorting to the policy of starvation in order to pressure the government and Hamas in Gaza because as they said "such policies accumulate the pressure and lead to an explosion."

Anti-siege activities to be held in 20 Arab and foreign countries next Saturday

[ 20/02/2008 - 12:36 PM ]

RAFAH, (PIC)--

The popular committee against the siege announced Tuesday that different activities marking the International day to break the Israeli siege on Gaza would be held at its invitation next Saturday in 20 Arab and foreign countries.

In a press statement received by the PIC, the committee stated that many anti-siege organizations all over the world communicated with it in order to coordinate activities and demonstrations during that day and to maintain their momentum.

The committee underlined that the Israeli siege imposed two years ago endangers the lives of one and a half million Palestinian citizens and deprives them from living a decent life.

In another development, a two-year-old Palestinian child was proclaimed dead on Tuesday in Gaza as a result of lack of medicines needed for the treatment of his liver disease; thus, the number of patients who died because of the unjust siege rose to 98 victims most of them women and children.

European Union Ambassador to Israel, Ramiro Cibrian-Uzal, Slams Israel for Not Easing West Bank Restrictions

EU Envoy slams Israel for not easing West Bank restrictions

Wednesday February 20, 2008 00:15 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

The European Union Ambassador to Israel, Ramiro Cibrian-Uzal, criticized Israel on Monday for not easing the restrictions on the occupied West Bank, and added that Israel should have more faith in the Palestinian Authority.

The French Press Agency reported that Cibrian told reporters in Jerusalem that the “European Union is not comfortable with the Israeli actions in the West Bank”.

The agency added that the Palestinian Prime Minister, Dr. Salaam Fayyad, is an exceptional partner for peace but the Israel army is not easing the restrictions in the West Bank.

“We would like to see Israel at least thinking about lifting some of the restrictions in the West Bank”. He stated, “We would like to see a sort of relations with the Palestinian Authority”.

Fayyad was appointed as a PM by president Abbas after the Hamas movement overtook the Gaza Strip last June. After that, the peace process was re-launched on the basis of an agreement reached in 2003.

The agreement called on Israel to remove the illegal settlements in the West Bank and called on the Palestinians to improve the security conditions in the Palestinian territories.

Hamas was democratically elected during the Palestinians legislative elections in January 25, 2006 and won the vast majority of the parliamentary seats. The movement currently dominates the legislative council and insists that its government, which was dissolved by Abbas, last year, is the legitimate government.

The Palestinian Authority started implementing a security plan to control the situation in the West Bank and deployed hundreds of security personnel in the northern West Bank city of Nablus.

Meanwhile, Cibrian said that Israel did not adjust with the new situation after Fayyad government was formed and continued to carry the same acts it conducted in 2002 and 2003, referring to the peak times of the Al-Aqsa Intifada.

“There is a sense of despair that the efforts of Fayyad in Nablus did not affect the Israeli positions”, he added.

Cibrian also criticized Israel for not removing the 500 roadblocks in the occupied West Bank.

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