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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Palestinian president dissolves NSC |
| 2007-06-19 |
| Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah dissolved the National Security Council on Monday, before reconstituting it without Hamas representation in a bid to further weaken Hamas. Meanwhile, Israel sought European support for a US-backed strategy to isolate Hamas in Gaza as it blocked cargo shipments headed for the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. Israel Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said on Monday that she would try to persuade European Union foreign ministers in talks in France to continue a year-old aid boycott against Hamas for failing to recognise Israel. In New York, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert promised to bolster Abbas, adding that Israel would release frozen tax revenues and “perhaps take more risks” in cooperating with Abbas’ government. The Bush administration announced it would lift a ban on direct aid to the Abbas regime on Monday, with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice saying, “We will not leave 1.5 million Palestinians at the hands of terrorist organizations.” She said the US would unblock $86 million for Abbas. “Given recent developments in the Gaza Strip and the closure of crossings between it and Israel, I hereby inform you that no cargo destined for the strip is to be released until further notice,” an Israeli Finance Ministry official in charge of customs told international customs agents in a letter dated June 17. “We are considering operating other routes to provide supplies, including by air,” said Shlomo Dor, spokesman for Israel’s coordinator for the Palestinian territories. |
| Posted by:Fred |