Gaza: UN envoy welcomes temporary opening of Rafah crossing

In a statement issued earlier on Thursday, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov applauded the Egyptian decision to open the Rafah crossing from 13 to 15 June in both directions, following consultations between President Abbas and the Egyptian authorities.

“I hope that the security conditions will allow for this decision to be extended and that Rafah can be open on a regular basis,” Mladenov declared.

He said, “The need for the full lifting of all closures however remains. A sustainable solution to address the situation also requires the return of control of the crossings in Gaza to the Palestinian Authority.”

Currently, Palestinians in Gaza can enter and exit the Strip through three potential access points – the Rafah Crossing connecting Gaza with Egypt and the Kerem Shalom and Erez crossings connecting into Israel.

Two other crossings – at Sufa and Karni – have been closed.

The closures have only added to Gaza’s woes as the enclave seeks to rebuild from the destruction caused by last summer’s 51-day conflict and remains heavily reliant on imported construction materials.

During a recent visit to Gaza at the end of April, Mladenov pledged ongoing UN support for efforts to reconstruct the war-ravaged enclave, lift Israel’s years-long blockade there and help strengthen Palestinian unity.

On Thursday, he reiterated the Organization’s call for a return to dialogue in the region and measures to build a viable two-state solution.

He said, “A permanent end to the suffering of the Palestinian people can only be achieved through an end to occupation and realization of the two-state solution in which Gaza is an integral part of the Palestinian state.”

Photo: OCHA (file)