- Title: GAZA: UN delegation meets with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Gaza
- Date: 19th July 2006
- Summary: WIDE VIEW OF PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT MAHMOUD ABBAS MEETING U.N. DELEGATION VARIOUS OF ABBAS AND U.N. DELEGATION AT MEETING (4 SHOTS)
- Embargoed: 3rd August 2006 09:44
- Keywords:
- Topics: International Relations
- Reuters ID: LVA83RZAJMQT2D838CO25EYUZ7IW
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3
- Story Text: A U.N. team sent to the Middle East to seek a solution to the fierce fighting in the region met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday (July 18).
"The leader of the team Mr. Nambiar has spoken about the ideas that we have discussed in Beirut and in Jerusalem concerning the crisis that started across the blue line that now affect a large part of Lebanon," UN envoy to Middle East Alvero De Soto told reporters in Gaza.
"The heart of all members of the UN team, our hearts are with you in your suffering you have been subjected to a great deal of suffering and difficulty as a result of the inflections that have been placed on you in the last several weeks, as a result of our visit to the region we will be preparing a report and I will assure you that the difficulties faced by the people of Gaza will go very highly on that, in that, report," Vijah Nambiar, UN team leader, added.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt temporarily reopened to allow Palestinians who were stranded on the Egyptian side for over three weeks to return home, European monitors at the crossing said. At least 2,000 Palestinians were waiting to make the crossing. Many have been trapped on the Egyptian side of the border crossing since June 25, when Palestinian militants seized an Israeli soldier in a cross-border military raid.
"To find a way in order to stop the Israeli escalation on the ground, this is the main topic, this is what we are looking for, apart from the humanitarian crisis which the Palestinians suffering. We hope that United Nations will continue their efforts to stop this escalation, this Israeli military escalation and to help and support the Palestinian people facing the difficulties and the hardship of the situation," Nabil Abu Rudeineh, top aid to Abbas, told reporters.
The cross border raid prompted Israel to launch a major ground and air offensive in Gaza, at least 85 Palestinians, almost half of them civilians, have been killed since the start of the military offensive on Gaza. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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