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Egypt calls on Israel to open border crossings with Gaza

August 7, 2014 at 2:43 pm

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry yesterday called on Israel to open the six border crossings with the Gaza Strip to provide for the humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people and reconstruct the Gaza Strip.

Speaking during a press conference with his Venezuelan counterpart, Elias Jaua, Shoukry said the borders are among the key topics to be addressed during the indirect talks between Israel and the Palestinians which began yesterday to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people and find solutions to reopen the seaport in the Gaza Strip.

Shoukry stressed that Egypt is working diligently to reach a final ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, noting that “it’s a complex and uneasy issue but there’s determination to find solutions to protect the Palestinian people and their interests”.

He said: “The talks began shortly and we are trying to find areas of flexibility between the two sides to reach a lasting agreement.”

The Venezuelan foreign minister commended the Egyptian political and diplomatic efforts to reach a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. He said: “We have hope and confidence that the truce will continue until the parties reach a solution. We appreciate the Egyptian role and conveyed a message of support from the Venezuelan president to the Egyptian President Abdel Fatah Al-Sisi for their efforts to help the Palestinian people.”

He added: “We in Venezuela, since the government of President Chavez, have worked to help establish a Palestinian state and society” noting that “there are Palestinian students in Venezuela who study medicine and other disciplines, and we cooperate with the Palestinian government to build an ophthalmology centre in Ramallah to meet the Palestinians’ needs.”

The Minister concluded: “We are fully prepared to contribute to the reconstruction of schools, hospitals and everything that Israel has demolished in clear violation of international law in Gaza” stressing that the Palestinian issue is “the issue of Venezuela and Latin America”.