UNITED NATIONS (AFP)
The United Nations Security Council was to meet Thursday to hear whether the United States would agree to a compromise statement urging an end to Israel's siege of the Gaza Strip and to rocket firing into the Jewish state.
Libya's U.N. Ambassador Giadalla Ettalhi, the council chair this month, indicated that 14 of the 15 members had essentially agreed a revised text worked out by council experts and the ambassadors were to meet at 1600 GMT waiting for U.S. approval.
Diplomats said the U.S. delegation was to consult Washington for instruction ahead of Thursday's meeting.
But Arab ambassadors warned that if Washington blocks adoption of the latest non-binding text, they could push for a resolution rather than a mere statement, or take their case to the 192-member General Assembly where they were confident of securing overwhelming support.
The latest version of the draft expresses "deep concern about the steep deterioration of the humanitarian situation" in Gaza due to the Israeli blockade.
It "calls on all parties to immediately cease all acts of violence, including the firing of rockets into Israeli territory and all activities which are contrary to international law and endanger civilians," a reference to the Israeli siege.
And it takes note of Israel's decision "to suspend the closure of the crossing points (into Gaza) and calls for it to be fully implemented."
An earlier draft submitted by Libya had urged Israel to end its siege of Gaza and ensure "unhindered access for humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people" but had made no mention of the rocket attacks that triggered the blockade. |
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U.S. backs Israel, blames Hamas The United States, a staunch ally of Israel, insists that the crippling Israeli blockade of Gaza is a self-defense move in the face of rockets fired from the impoverished territory controlled by the Islamist movement Hamas.
It demands that any council statement take into account Israel's security concerns.
"The blame for this problem can be laid squarely at the feet of Hamas," which seized power of Gaza seven months ago, said White House spokeswoman Dana Perino.
Speaking in Zurich Wednesday, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said: "We are very concerned that there be stability in that region but most importantly that both the security concerns of Israel and the humanitarian concerns of the Gazans be met."
A prolonged Israeli blockade of Gaza was tightened seven days ago to a full-scale lockdown, blocking all fuel shipments and even humanitarian aid, with the aim of stopping rocket fire from the territory.
Wednesday, tens of thousands of Gazans poured into Egypt to stock up on goods in defiance of the Israeli siege, after militants blew up parts of the barrier that marks the border.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said he had authorized the crossing of the Palestinians as long as they were unarmed.
Some 2,000 Egyptian border security personnel did not intervene as crowds of Palestinians walked the streets of Rafah and shops opened early to serve them. |
