By Xinhua
Gaza : The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) on Saturday attacked a scheduled visit by EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and Mideast Quartet envoy Tony Blair to the region to discuss reopening a key border crossing into Gaza Strip.
“This is a new plot to keep the blockade on Gaza Strip,” said Hamas’ spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri. He explained that the visit aims at “cutting the road before Hamas’ attempts to reopen Rafah crossing with new arrangements bypassing the Israeli occupation’s intervention in monitoring the crossing.”
The crossing, on Gaza-Egypt border, was closed in June when Hamas took over Gaza Strip by force from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ forces.
Since Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, Rafah crossing was working according to a U.S.-brokered deal that stipulates the presence of EU monitors as a third party on the terminal.
Abu Zuhri says Blair, who represents the Quartet of U.S., EU, Russia and the UN, and Solana will also try to “gather international support for Abbas to reactivate the international deal and enabling the Israeli occupation to control Rafah.”
According to the schedule, the two envoys will arrive next week after months of siege on Gaza forced Hamas to blow up the borders and allowing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians into Sinai.