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Khalifa Al Thani concludes Gaza visit, calls for Palestinian unity
Wednesday October 24, 2012 09:47:20 AM,
IANS
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Gaza: Qatar's Emir, Shaikh Hamad Ben Khalifa Al Thani concluded Tuesday an official
seven-hour long visit to the Gaza Strip, ruled by Islamic Hamas
movement, the first of its kind by a head of state since 2007.
The Emir and his delegation entered the Gaza Strip Tuesday morning
and left in the late afternoon through Rafah border crossing with
Egypt. During the visit, Qatar decided to increase its grant for
the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip to up $400 million.
The Qatari Emir also called on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
and Hamas movement to end the division between the Gaza Strip and
the West Bank and implement the Qatar-brokered reconciliation
understanding reached between Abbas and Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal
in Doha last year.
"I'm glad to visit in the Gaza Strip which has been the bridge
that linked between Africa and Asia, but now I'm sad to say that
this bridge is not as active as it used to be," the Emir said
during a reception ceremony at the Islamic University where he and
his wife were granted honorary doctorates.
Soon after arriving in Gaza on his visit, Al Thani said: "The
Palestinians should think of their reality and realize that their
split is a source of harm to their cause and the Arabic cause."
The split between the Palestinians "was more painful than the
Israeli aggression" he said.
The Emir laid the cornerstone of a housing complex bearing his
name in the southern city of Khan Younis shortly after he arrived
in the enclave Tuesday. The project comprises 1,000 apartments for
homeless Gazans and is part of a series of rebuilding plans Qatar
has declared in the coastal territory.
Hamas Premier Ismail Haniyeh, who accompanied his guests, said
that the arrival of the Emir was "a declaration of victory on the
siege".
The schedule of the Emir and his delegation was shortened, with a
rally at Palestine football stadium in Gaza city and the
inauguration of a hospital for handicapped Palestinians being
cancelled. At the end of the ceremony, the convoy drove back to
Rafah crossing, and then to fly from Sinai back home.
Haniyeh and senior leaders of the Islamic movement organized an
official red-carpet reception for the Qatari dignitaries at the
crossing. Haneya also thanked Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi
for "taking care of the Qatari trend" toward Gaza.
Fatah Party, the main Hamas rival and various left-wing factions
in Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) announced in separate
statements they decided to boycott the visit and not to receive
the Emir. Representatives of Islamic Jihad in Gaza had only joined
the reception ceremony at Rafah crossing.
While Hamas has been receiving the Emir of Qatar, an Israeli army
officer was seriously injured after a roadside bomb exploded at
his armored vehicle near the borderline between southeast Gaza and
Israel, according to an Israeli Radio report.
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