ISRAEL / GAZA: Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon convened a weekly cabinet meeting as Israel tried to secure a third-party player in maintaining security control of the Rafah Crossing in the Gaza Strip.

Record ID: 398291

  • Title: ISRAEL / GAZA: Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon convened a weekly cabinet meeting as Israel tried to secure a third-party player in maintaining security control of the Rafah Crossing in the Gaza Strip.
  • Date: 6th November 2005
  • Summary: TZIPI LIVNI AND SILVAN SHALOM ARRIVING
  • Embargoed: 21st November 2005 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA5AE1WIZPAOQ2X9S7NIU8EZV93
  • Story Text: Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon convened a weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday (November 6) as Israel tried to secure a third-party player in maintaining security control of the Rafah Crossing in the Gaza Strip. Just hours before the cabinet ministers met in Jerusalem, Israeli Vice-Premier Shimon Peres met with European Union (EU) representatives to discuss a move approved by Israel's cabinet to allow international third-party control of the controversial Gaza crossing. "None of us would like to see the people in Gaza suffering, either because they lack freedom or because they lack food or because of the unclarity about the future. I would like to thank very much our European partner, the Quartet, in this occasion, the end of our responsibility in Gaza and the beginning of the Palestinian responsibility over this place. Objectively there are a great deal of problems there. We wouldn't like to undermine the depth of the complications which exist, but we are united in order really to improve this situation," Peres said during the meeting. Last week senior Israeli cabinet ministers approved a border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, to allow Palestinians to come and go freely after the Israeli withdrawal from the strip. It would be the first time since Israel captured the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 1967 that Palestinians would be allowed to enter and leave either territory without passing through Israeli controls. On Sunday (November 6) details of a possible role of European Union monitors were discussed by Peres and EU representatives in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv. The move would mean that EU monitors would help to secure the crossing between Gaza and Egypt which Israel cites as a security threat, saying the border is used for weapons smuggling and other terrorist activity. Under the plan accepted last week the foot crossing would be under foreign supervision to assuage Israeli fears that arms and militants could easily cross into Gaza. Since withdrawing from Gaza in September after 38 years of occupation, Israel has been under pressure from the United States to help open up Gaza's frontiers so Palestinians can trade and travel more easily. The United States hopes a thriving economy in Gaza will help peacemaking under the "road map" it backs for Palestinian statehood.

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