By Xinhua
Cairo : Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed AbulGheit on Tuesday continued his efforts to inform the international community of the recent developments in the Gaza Strip and at the Egypt-Gaza border over the past few days.
The Egyptian top diplomat sent messages to his counterparts of about 30 countries as part of the Egyptian diplomatic efforts to solve the issue of Gaza border crossings, the Egyptian foreign ministry said in a statement.
Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossam Zaki said that Egypt holds Israel responsible for the current deterioration of the Gaza situation.
He added that Egypt is making efforts to restore control of the Rafah crossing according to an international agreement signed in November 2005.
The U.S.-brokered deal allows the Rafah terminal to run with Palestinian Presidential Guard controlling the Palestinian side of the crossing while European Union (EU) monitors acting as a third party.
Zaki also called for regular operation of the crossing, which will actually help ease the suffering of the Palestinian people, according to the statement.
On Monday, Abul Gheit said that it was important that Israel cooperate with the efforts to control the border crossings “through the deployment of the Palestinian Authority (forces) and European Union monitors.”
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas political leader Khaled Meshal are expected in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss the issue with Egyptian officials.
Also on Monday, the EU considered redeploying its monitors on the Rafah crossing with the guarantees from Hamas that the monitors’ lives will not be endangered.
Hamas rejected the deal and demanded new arrangements excluding monitors and reopening the borders as a pure Egyptian-Palestinian passage.
EU monitors withdrew from Rafah crossing last June when Hamas routed Abbas’ security forces from the Gaza Strip and took control of the coastal enclave.
Israel imposes a strict closure on Gaza since Hamas began ruling the enclave and tightened the blockade on Jan. 17 after Gaza militants stepped up rocket attacks on southern Israel.
On Jan. 23, Hamas blew up the fences at Rafah crossing, allowing hundreds of thousands of Gazans to enter the Egyptian side to stock up on foods, fuel and other basic needs.