Abbas says opening of Gaza crossing key for peace

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Friday that the re-opening of the Rafah crossing on the Gaza-Egypt border is a key for peace in the region.

Abbas made the remarks at the opening ceremony for the Rafah crossing which was attended by senior Palestinian, EU officials and foreign diplomats.

"Re-operating the Rafah crossing is a key toward achieving peace in the region," said Abbas, stressing the importance of keeping security and safety in the Palestinian territories.

He said that "the re-opening of the crossing and the agreement on the Gaza border crossings (with Israel) are a result of the Palestinian people's struggle, mainly those killed during years of violence and Palestinian prisoners who are still behind the Israeli bars.,"

Abbas also extended gratitude to Egypt, Jordan, the European Union (EU) as well as US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice who helped broker the Palestinian-Israeli agreement on the crossing.

"The re-opening of the Rafah crossing is very important and essential for the Palestinian people. It was our right when we said that we don't want Gaza Strip to turn into a big prison," he said.

The Palestinian leader noted that opening the crossing is the third drop of the rain, explaining that the first drop was when the settlements were evacuated in August and the second drop was when the Israeli army withdrew from the Gaza Strip, both of which were carried out peacefully without violence.

Abbas, however, said that the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip would never be the first and last, adding the withdrawal from Gaza and re-operating Rafah crossing is the first step towards more steps until we cool down when our independent state is established.

Operating Rafah crossing would encourage Palestinian, Arab and international investors to improve the Palestinian economy and establish projects that would change our people's right, he said.

Abbas, meanwhile, called on the Israeli government to stop settlements expansion and constructing the separation wall in the West Bank, and resume as immediate as possible the peace talks with the Palestinians.

Talking about the parliamentary elections, Abbas said that nothing would obstruct the Palestinians from holding the election as it was agreed to be held on Jan. 25, stressing that we are not intending at all to postpone it one minute.

After the speech, Abbas then entered into the crossing and presented his passport to the Palestinian employees at the crossing as a symbolic step and to be the first Palestinian to cross after the agreement is implemented.

Source: Xinhua