Israel allows UN chief to enter Gaza

9 Mar 2010, 6:24 am   -   Source: AFP
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Israel said that it has authorised a visit to the Gaza Strip by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton through its territory.

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Israel said that it has authorised a visit to the Gaza Strip by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton through its territory.

The foreign ministry said in a statement that it "has decided to facilitate their entry to the Gaza Strip in order to allow them to get a first hand impression of humanitarian activities taking place in that area".

The authorisation came "in response to the special requests" by Ban and Ashton, the statement said, without specifying when the visit by Ban and Ashton would take place.

Ban said in New York that he would attend an Arab League summit in Libya later this month to push forward the Middle East peace process after a planned tour of the region.

The UN chief also confirmed his attendance at a ministerial meeting of the Middle East diplomatic Quartet in Moscow on March 19 to encourage an early resumption of direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

Many countries in Ban's tour

The secretary general said he was also planning to visit some unspecified countries in the region: "That will be announced soon. I'm in the process of discussing this matter."

Israel and the Palestinians have agreed to give the US-brokered negotiations another chance.

They began on Monday their first indirect talks since Israel launched a devastating military onslaught in the Gaza Strip in December 2008 in response to rocket firing by Palestinian militants.

Countries endorse a 'roadmap' for peace

The Quartet, which groups the European Union, the United States, Russia and the United Nations, has endorsed a roadmap for Middle East peace which calls for a viable Palestinian state living peacefully alongside a secure Israel.
   
But no tangible progress has been made on resolving the core issues of the status of Jerusalem, the future borders of a Palestinian state and refugees.

Negotiations resume

Meanwhile the US reveals that the Palestinians and Israelis have begun indirect peace negotiations, the first of any talks held since Israel's brief war in Gaza in December 2008.

State Department spokesman Philip Crowley also said Israel's move to build 112 new homes in a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank fits with a moratorium announced last year but urged caution about such moves.
  
Crowley said he was "certain" the indirect Israeli-Palestinian talks had started.
  
"I believe they've started. I think they're underway. As to how substantive the discussions were today, George (Mitchell) is on his way back (to Washington)," he told reporters.
  
He added that Mitchell will report to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton about the talks.
  
He said the early stage of the talks "will work on how the process will take place."
 

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