2-14-07, 9:06 am
GAZA, Palestine, February 13,2007 (IPC) - - Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya called yesterday for ending a one year-old economic blockade of Palestine since his movement [Hamas] came to power in last January's parliamentary elections.
Haniya's statement came during a televised address to the Palestinian people after arriving in Gaza following the power-sharing agreement signed by rival Palestinian factions in the Saudi Arabian holy city of Mecca.
'We address the Quartet to respect the will of the Palestinian people and their agreement by lifting the blockade suffered by the Palestinians for so many months,' the PM was quoted as saying.
The Quartet, made up of United Nations, United States, European Union and Russia, has reaffirmed its position that meeting its three demands concerning recognition of Israel, acceptance of past signed agreements and renunciation of violence are preconditions for lifting the economic embargo.
Haniya also confirmed that the Mecca deal involved four main points, ceasing infighting, forming a unity government, restructuring Palestine Liberation Organization and adopting power-sharing.
'This agreement has opened the way for all parties concerned, who wish to deal with the Palestinians on the matter of lifting the blockade as well as on the political front,' stated Haniya.
The Palestinian Premier called on Washington to reconsider its position regarding the Mecca deal by respecting the will of the Palestinian people.
'The American administration should reconsider its positions taken hastily and not act within a double standard policy,' he said.
President Mahmoud Abbas is to officially task Haniya with forming a unity government on Thursday [2-15-07]. In a letter sent to Haniya, Abbas asked his prime minister to respect the deals signed by the Palestine Liberation Organization with Israel.
The European Union signaled earlier Monday that it was not yet ready to resume aid despite the unity accord in Mecca.
'When it becomes possible to re-engage with a national unity government, and we are not there yet, we could gradually resume support to Palestinian Authority ministries and agencies,' said External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner.
The Mecca deal will be scrutinized by the Quartet on February 21, a couple of days after a first ever three-way summit between US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, in a bid to revive the stalled Palestinian-Israeli peace talks.
The United States for its part declared it would wait and see whether the unity government deal meets the international conditions for restoring money aid to the Palestinian National Authority.
Representatives of Hamas and Fatah, including President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas supreme Khaled Mashal, agreed last Thursday to end lethal infighting and share the government, in a bid to urge western donors to get their aids back to the Palestinian people. The deal did not refer to the international community's three conditions.
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