UN Envoy Robert Serry Says Lack of Progress in Rebuilding Gaza Causes Concern

UN official: Lack of progress in rebuilding Gaza, causes concern

Thursday March 26, 2009 11:18 by IMEMC News

United Nations Middle East Envoy, Robert Serry, visited that Gaza Strip on Wednesday and expressed concern over the lack of progress in rebuilding the coastal region after the Israel’s 22-day military offensive.

Serry said that 2 months after the offensive was halted, things on the ground did not move forward, and added that the Palestinians must be allowed “to rebuild their homes, restore the essential services and dignity”.

The Israeli army killed nearly 1400 Palestinians, mainly civilians, women and children, during its 22-day war on Gaza which ended on January 18. More than 320 patients died in Gaza due to the siege as Gaza hospital ran out of basic supplies and Israel barred the patients’ transfer into hospitals in Egypt or elsewhere.

The army shelled civilian infrastructure, including roads, homes, educational facilities, UN facilities, and even mosques.

Serry stated that international aid and efforts to rebuild Gaza cannot be conducted while Israel is sealing the borders and barring the entry of essential materials such as construction materials, goods, foods, medicine, and commercial traffic.

The siege was imposed by Israel on Gaza in June of 2007 after the elected government of Hamas imposed its authority in the coastal region, since then only limited quantities of basic supplies.

Furthermore, Serry stated that it is essential to achieve a lasting ceasefire between the Gaza Strip and Israel, and added that reconciliation between Hamas and Fateh is also an important step.

He also called for advancing prisoner-swap talks in order to release the Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, captured by the resistance in Gaza, in return for releasing Palestinian detainees imprisoned by Israel.

Israel is holding captive more than 10.000 Palestinian detainees, while the number of Israelis detained by the resistance is one. Swap talks mediated by Egypt have failed to achieve any progress.

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