Visiting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday
reiterated the Palestinian National Authority (PNA)'s resolve to
take control of the crossings, the Egyptian MENA news agency
reported.
Upon his arrival in Cairo, Abbas told reporters that the
Palestinian Authority is resolved to take control of the crossings
to serve the interests of the Palestinians.
However, Hamas's refusal to hand over control of the crossings
to the PNA means that the group doesn't want to serve the
Palestinians' interests, Abbas was quoted by MENA as saying.
Abbas was scheduled to hold talks with Egyptian President Hosni
Mubarak and other top officials on Wednesday to tackle the
situation and the developments on the border between Egypt and the
Gaza Strip, as well as the implementation of Rafah crossing
operation agreement signed in November 2005.
The US-brokered deal allows the Rafah terminal to run with
Palestinian Presidential Guard controlling the Palestinian side of
the crossing while EU monitors acting as a third party.
Palestinian Ambassador in Cairo Munzer al-Dajani on Tuesday
warned of the Israeli plots to evacuate Palestinians in the Gaza
Strip to Sinai, Egypt, noting that the Egyptian and Palestinian
leadership would take decisive measures to foil such Israeli
plots.
A Hamas delegation, including its leader Khaled Meshaal and
Mahmoud al-Zahar, is also expected to arrive in Cairo on Wednesday
to hold talks with Egyptian officials.
Hamas rejected the 2005 deal and demanded new arrangements
excluding monitors and reopening the borders as a pure
Egyptian-Palestinian passage.
EU monitors withdrew from Rafah crossing last June when Hamas
routed Abbas' security forces from the Gaza Strip and took control
of the coastal enclave.
Israel imposes a strict closure on Gaza since Hamas began ruling
the enclave and tightened the blockade on January 17 after Gaza
militants stepped up rocket attacks on southern Israel.
On January 23, Hamas blew up the fences at Rafah crossing,
allowing hundreds of thousands of Gazans to enter the Egyptian side
to stock up foods, fuel and other basic needs.
(Xinhua News Agency January 30, 2008)
