Hamas welcomes European ministers’ intended visit to Gaza

Written by Muhammad Aslam al Hindi

GAZA CITY: Hamas welcomed on Saturday the intention of a European ministerial delegation to visit the Gaza Strip and described the step as “positive.”

“It’s a good chance that European ministers see the disastrous humanitarian situation in Gaza with their own eyes,” Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said. “This is should be the beginning of ending the unjust siege,” he said.

The visit comes one month after Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman invited his Italian counterpart, Franco Frattini, to visit the territory to witness the recent relaxation of the Israeli blockade imposed on Gaza.

Meanwhile in the West Bank, Ghassan Al-Khatib, spokesman for the Palestinian government in Ramallah said, “The government believes that the visit is very important,” adding that the PNA “hopes this visit would end the political embargo of the Gaza Strip.” Al-Khatib added that Frattini and Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad talked over the trip to Gaza and agreed to remain in contact to prepare for the visit.

“The trip will be fully coordinated with the government,” he said. “We hope it will be productive and help end the siege.”

It might take the delegation one month to visit Gaza, Al-Khatib added.

Israel imposed a siege on the Gaza Strip after an Israeli soldier was kidnapped by members of the Palestinian resistance groups including Hamas movement on June 25, 2006 in across border operation southeast of Rafah city in southern the Strip. The blockade was further tightened after Hamas forcibly seized control of the coastal enclave in June 2007.

[Source: Arab News]