Carter visits Gaza, urging Hamas to denounce violence

2009-06-17 00:29:57  

    by Saud Abu Ramadan

    GAZA, June 16 (Xinhua) --

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter paid on Tuesday a significant visit to the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, aiming at convincing Hamas leaders to denounce violence and accept the existing peace agreements as well as the right of the Jewish state to exist.

    "I called on Hamas leaders that I met with in Damascus and I will tell Hamas leaders in Gaza today to accept these conditions. They (Hamas) made several statements, and showed readiness to join the peace and move towards establishing just and independent Palestinian state," Carter said in Gaza.

    After entering through the Israeli crossing point of Erez in northern Gaza Strip, his convoy immediately proceeded to northeast Gaza Strip to inspect damage during Israel's three-week air, sea and ground military offensives, which ended on Jan. 18.

    Carter, who is the highest former U.S. diplomat to visit Gaza after the Israeli offensives, toured the enclave and held talks with Hamas' lawmakers and officials, including deposed Prime Minister Ismail Haniya.

    "Hamas leaders want peace and they want to have reconciliation not only with their Fatah brothers but also eventually with Israelis to live side by side, with two nations, both sovereign nations, recognized by each other and living in peace," Carter told students at a graduation ceremony in the Gaza Strip.

    Carter checked destroyed homes and buildings of Gazans, and visited a destroyed school and a hospital.

    He said "I have to hold back tears when I see the deliberate destruction that has been raged against your people."

    Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Hamas-ruled interior ministry denied on Tuesday earlier reports saying that a bomb was dismantled as Carter's motorcade passed by in northern Gaza Strip.

    In an official statement, spokesman Ihab Al-Ghussain called on local Gaza reporters "not to deal with such reports plotted by the Zionist media which aimed at creating a security confusion in the region."

    Earlier on Tuesday, a Hamas security source revealed that Israel closed Erez crossing point for a while after explosives were found near the Palestinian side of the crossing shortly after Carter entered the Hamas-controlled Strip.

    The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Xinhua "the explosives were found on the route that Carter had passed when he entered Gaza this morning." Carter is due to leave Gaza on the same route later on Tuesday afternoon.

    Carter called on the Palestinians to reunite, saying that he felt sad "when I hear that Palestinian brothers are killing and detaining each other in the West Bank and Gaza."

    He stressed that reconstruction of Gaza, ending Palestinian people's suffering "can only be achieved through the Palestinian-Palestinian unity."

    During his visit, Carter brought to Hamas rulers in Gaza two letters: one from the family of captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit who has been held in captivity since June 2006; the second is related to his vision on resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, senior Hamas sources told Xinhua on Monday.

    Yousef Rezqah, an aide to Haniya, said shortly before a meeting between Carter and senior Hamas officials that Carter carried with him "unlimited agenda that includes several issues, including the internal Palestinian situation and the conflict with Israel."

    Rezqah said Carter will listen to messages from (Hamas) government which related to Israel's military aggression, the Jewish settlements and the tight Israeli blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip.

Haniya tells Carter Hamas accepts a state on 1967 border

2009-06-16 23:28:49  

    By Saud Abu Ramadan

    GAZA, June 16 (Xinhua) --

Deposed Prime Minister of Hamas in Gaza Ismail Haniya told former U.S. President Jimmy Carter that Hamas accepts a Palestinian state established on the territories occupied by Israel in 1967.

    Haniya told a joint news conference after his meeting with Carter in Gaza that Hamas accepts the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the territories occupied in 1967 "with Jerusalem as its capital."

    Carter, meanwhile, told reporters that the principle of solving the conflict based on the two-state solution and sharing Jerusalem as a joint capital for the two states is the best for achieving a comprehensive and everlasting peace.

    Haniya said, "If there is a real project that aims at resolving the Palestinian cause on establishing a Palestinian state on 1967 borders, under full Palestinian sovereignty, we will support it."

    "We are pushing towards the dream of having our independent state with Jerusalem as its capital," Haniya, who stood with Carter in the news conference told reporters.

    Asked about the captive Israeli soldier in Gaza Gilad Schalit, held by Hamas militants since June 2006, Haniya said "We are encouraging the talks to reach an honorable prisoners' exchange deal with Israel."

    "We want to end this file according to political and humanitarian basics," said Haniya, adding "We welcome all the efforts exerted to finalize this file, in which Mr. Carter can help in order to reach a prisoners' exchange deal."

    Haniya also said that Carter's visit to the region "came after the current changes in the U.S. administration policy, where we followed with concerns President Barack Obama's speech."

    "We found a new spirit and a new language in the official American speech," said Haniya, who added that he explained to Carter the reality of the Gaza Strip people's suffering due to the blockade and to the Israeli war.

    Asked about the internal dialogue, Haniya said "We explained to Carter our desire and attitude to regain unity and end the current split and reach a national accordance agreement and form a national unity government."

    Carter, meanwhile, stressed in the news conference on the fact that the Israeli blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip has to be lifted, adding that "I support having two states with Jerusalem as a joint capital."

    Asked about his feeling after touring the Gaza Strip, Carter said "My feeling is a feeling of sadness, anger and despair after seeing all this destruction that was caused to innocent people."

    "I know that the Israeli destruction of houses, infrastructure, and factories in Gaza was carried out by American weapons. I hope that this won't be repeated again," said Carter.

    Speaking about the inter-Palestinian situation, he said that he held talks with both Fatah and Hamas leaders, adding "I hope they will soon overcome their differences, reach an agreement and reunite. I hope that they exchange political prisoners soon."

    He also said that he would send President Obama and his Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and their peace envoy George Mitchell a report explaining in details the situation in the Gaza Strip."

    Carter had left the Gaza Strip following the several hour-visit to the enclave controlled by Islamic Hamas movement. He visited several sites and neighborhoods and checked destruction caused by an Israeli war on Gaza ended in Jan. 18.

    Carter, who paid a significant visit to Gaza Strip, said he has tried to convince Hamas leaders to denounce violence, accept the existing interim agreements and recognize the right of the Jewish state to exist.

    "I called on Hamas leaders when I met with them in Damascus and I tell Hamas leaders in Gaza today to accept these conditions. They (Hamas) made several statements, and showed readiness to join the peace and move towards establishing just and independent Palestinian state," Carter said in Gaza.

    Carter, who is the highest former U.S. diplomat to visit Gaza after Gaza offensive, toured the Gaza Strip, visited sites and neighborhoods damaged by the Israeli offensive, and held talks with Hamas' lawmakers and officials, including deposed Prime Minister Ismail Haniya.

    "Hamas leaders want peace and they want to have reconciliation not only with their Fatah brothers but also eventually with Israelis to live side by side, with two nations, both sovereign nations recognized by each other and living in peace," Carter told students at a graduation ceremony in the Gaza Strip.

Haniya: Hamas accepts two-state solution

2009-06-16 21:44:00

    GAZA, June 16 (Xinhua) --

Islamic Hamas movement accepts a Palestinian statehood alongside Israel, its deposed premier Ismail Haniya said Tuesday.

    "We welcome and push for achieving this dream if there was a real project aims at settling the Palestinian cause on the basis," Haniya said in a news conference with visiting former U.S. president Jimmy Carter in Gaza city.

    Haniya added that the Palestinian statehood should be within the 1967 border "with sovereignty and full Palestinian rights and with Jerusalem as its capital."

Carter urges Palestinians to reunite

 2009-06-16 17:36:51  

    GAZA, June 16 (Xinhua) --

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter on Tuesday called on the Palestinians to reunite to pave the way for the establishment of their independent statehood.

    Carter made the call from Gaza city when he toured neighborhoods that have sustained damage and destruction during Israel's 22-day offensive against the Hamas-run enclave in January.

    "The way of rebuilding, ending the suffering and (achieving) peace goes through the Palestinian unity," Carter told reporters shortly after he crossed into Gaza on his first visit to the Hamas-controlled territory.

    He said he was sad hearing that "the Palestinian brothers" fight and arrest each others in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, referring to a bitter power-struggle between Hamas and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah party.

    Carter arrived in the Hamas-controlled Gaza on Tuesday morning on a peace mission, carrying a proposal for Hamas to settle Israeli-Palestinian conflict and a letter from the parents of Gilad Shalit to their captive son who was kidnapped by Hamas in 2006.

    Carter, who is the highest former diplomat to visit Gaza after the war, is scheduled to meet with Hamas' lawmakers and officials, including the deposed Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniya.

    Prior to his meeting with Hamas, Carter will visit a Palestinian hospital and meet officials from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

    In 2007, Hamas, which won the parliamentary elections a year earlier, routed security forces of president Mahmoud Abbas and ousted his Fatah party in a deadly fighting.

    The United States and most of the European countries bar official talks with Hamas unless the latter recognizes Israel and abides by interim peace deals.

Editor: Bi Mingxin

Blair: Quartet committed to viable Palestinian state

2009-06-16 20:19:03  

    RAMALLAH, June 16 (Xinhua) --

International Quartet Mideast envoy Tony Blair said Tuesday that the international community was committed to the creation of a viable Palestinian statehood alongside Israel.

    The Palestinian state will include the Gaza Strip and the West Bank in its territories, Blair said after meeting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah.

    However, Blair did not mention East Jerusalem which the Palestinians claimed to be their capital.

    Referring to a bitter feud between Islamic Hamas movement and Abbas' Fatah party, Blair said differences between the two Palestinian territories must be solved first.

    The international community intensified pressure on Israel to halt Jewish settlement activities in the West Bank as the construction blocks the peace negotiations.

    Blair said he is optimistic following U.S. President Barack Obama's speech in which he renewed the U.S. commitment to the Middle East peace process, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also voiced a commitment to the two-state solution.

    Unlike Blair, the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) was disappointed by the Israeli hawkish premier who said the Palestinian statehood must be demilitarized and the Palestinians have to recognize Israel as a homeland of all Jews first.

Editor: