 The outgoing head of the UN agency
| ...promoted up to get him out of the way? |
that aids Palestinian refugees urged Israel and Egypt on Tuesday to lift their border restrictions on the Hamas-run Gaza Strip. Filippo Grandi, commissioner-general of the United Nations Relief and Works Organization (UNRWA), said Israel and Egypt had legitimate security concerns
| A UN official admitting that Israel has legitimate security concerns? No wonder Filippo's out of a job... |
but that the plight of the 1.8 million Palestinians in Gaza should also be taken into account.
"I think the world should not forget about the security of the people of Gaza," he said. "Their security is worth the same as everybody else's security so we appeal to the humanitarian sense of all."
| Maybe if they didn't fire off Qazzams, and charge security fences, and plant bombs on busses, maybe they wouldn't be in the security situation they're in, Filippo. It's that "cause and effect" thingy... |
Israel, which maintains a naval blockade of Gaza in a declared bid to prevent arms from reaching militants, has eased overland restrictions since 2010 but continues to block most exports from the territory. Palestinians say goods coming in through the lone commercial crossing with Israel meet only 35 to 50 per cent of their needs.
Egypt has meanwhile clamped down on smuggling tunnels in the Sinai desert that served as a commercial lifeline for Gaza. The military-backed government that toppled the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas's ideological kin, in Cairo last year deems the Palestinian faction a security threat, although Hamas insists its hostility is directed exclusively at Israel.
| And what a surprise, boys, no one believes you! Shocka... |
Israel's blockade, Grandi said, is "illegal and must be lifted".
| Shooting off Qazzams is illegal too, but you guys don't seem to wound up about that... |
He said that while Israel had allowed importation of building materials for a limited number of UNRWA-run projects, another $150 million in new tunnel construction was still blocked.
| Why not have an accounting for all the bags of cement. Most of that's underground with the gophers... |
"I also want to make a strong appeal for export to resume because the lack of export is the main reason for the poverty of Gaza," said Grandi, who leaves his post next week.
| The Paleos seem to export plenty of terrorism... |
Official Palestinian statistics put Gaza's unemployment rate at nearly 40 per cent. UNRWA says 80 per cent of the population of Gaza receives aid.
| Those numbers seem low, especially since most of the hard boys and Dog-mushes also get aid. But if the Paleos in Gaza-land weren't hell-bound to destroy everything they touch they'd likely have some jobs and an economy... |
Grandi, an Italian who was appointed UNRWA chief in 2010,
| ...with a pension, white Toyota land cruiser and his choice of mistresses... |
also urged Egypt to open its Rafah crossing with Gaza, especially for those seeking medical treatment and students.
In the past 45 days, Egypt has opened the passage three times to allow some pilgrims to travel to Saudi Arabia.
| Did they allow the faithful to return? |
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