Editorial Note: The following news reports are summaries from original sources. They may also include corrections of Arabic names and political terminology. Comments are in parentheses.

 

From UN Podium, Tunisian President, Al-Marzouqi, Calls on Egypt to End Its Siege of Gaza Strip

September 27, 2013

 

Tunisian President, Muncef Al-Marzouqi, addressing the UNGA, September 27, 2013	Palestinians in Gaza Strip waiting for Egyptians to open the Rafah Gate for them to travel out of their besieged territory.

 

 

 

 

Isma'il Haniya praises Tunisian President's call to lift the siege on Gaza

[ 28/09/2013 - 01:36 PM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

Palestinian Prime Minister in Gaza, Isma'il Haniya, praised Tunisian President Moncef Al-Marzouqi’s statements at the General Assembly of the United Nations calling on the Egyptian authorities to lift their siege of the Gaza Strip.

Haneyya said Saturday in a statement to ALRAY news agency that “this position reflects the honesty of the Tunisian President and people.

Marzouki had demanded on Thursday evening, in his speech before the General Assembly, the Egyptian authorities to lift the siege on the Gaza Strip "I hope the Egyptian authorities will remove all restrictions on the movement of persons and goods in and out of Gaza."

Marzouki added that "this struggling zone [Gaza Strip] has suffered enough; the Palestinian people have suffered enough from Israeli occupation and [the West Bank] settlements."

Egyptian forces continued to demolish lifeline tunnels under the Gaza- Egypt border which resulted in significant shortages of goods including fuel and construction materials in coincidence with the continued Israeli unfair siege for the past seven years.

Hamdan hails position of Tunisian President regarding Gaza siege

 [ 28/09/2013 - 01:54 PM ]

BEIRUT, (PIC)--

Osama Hamdan, foreign relations official in Hamas, hailed the position of Tunisian President Dr. Moncef Al-Marzouki, in his speech delivered before the General Assembly of the United Nations on Thursday, in which he demanded lifting the blockade on Gaza.

Hamdan also slammed the continuation of the incitement campaign waged by some Egyptian media against the Gaza Strip and the resistance, considering it a threat to Egyptian national security.

"I believe that a speech that incites against the Gaza Strip and its people and against the resistance serves only Israel, and harms Egypt and its national security", the Hamas official said, stressing that Gaza and Palestine will always be a shield to protect the security of Egypt.

Hamdan called on the new Egyptian leadership not to drag the Palestinians in Egyptian internal issues, and to stop the incitement campaign against Gaza, the Palestinians and the resistance.

Egyptian authorities open Rafah crossing for certain categories

[ 28/09/2013 - 02:00 PM ]

RAFAH, (PIC)--

Egyptian authorities opened the Rafah border terminal with Gaza Strip on Saturday before certain categories.

The Egyptian authorities had opened the border terminal in September only for few days and for travel of students, patients, and humanitarian cases while thousands others wishing to travel were banned access.

The ministry of interior and national security in Gaza said that the Egyptian authorities today allowed travel of students, patients, and holders of residences and entry visas to other countries in addition to pilgrims and promised to keep it open for those categories for three days.

Egypt Presidency 'Regrets' Tunisia President Comments At UN

Al-Ahram, Saturday, 28 September 2013, 09:19

Written by Amwal Al Ghad, English

Egypt's presidency expressed its "regret" during a Friday statement that Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki is "unaware" of the reality of the Egyptian situation.

"We hope that Tunisia, which had the honour of inaugurating the Arab Spring, benefits from the Egyptian experience proving that the people refuse to have a system imposed upon them," the statement read.

The presidency added that the 30 June protests, which resulted in the 3 July ouster of elected president Mohamed Morsi, were meant to "reclaim the January 25 2011 Revolution" and fulfill its goals.

In his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, Marzouki called on Egyptian authorities to release Morsi, who has been held incommunicado in a location unknown to the public since his removal from power.

Marzouki argued that such an action would help resolve the severe political tensions between the interim government, Morsi's Islamist supporters, and the former president's opponents.

Marzouki said that political dialogue is the only way out of the current political strife, as Islamists continue to call for Morsi's reinstatement.

Egyptian authorities have staged a crackdown against the Muslim Brotherhood – the group from which Morsi hails – following his popularly-backed ouster by the military.

Many Muslim Brotherhood leaders, including supreme guide Mohamed Baradie and numerous high and mid-level leaders, have been detained and face charges of incitement of violence against their opponents. Last week, a Cairo court issued an order to ban all Muslim Brotherhood activities.  The Islamist group has since vowed to appeal the verdict.