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UN's Ban calls for 'immediate' ceasefire in Gaza

Ban described as terrible a recent Israeli attack on the eastern Gaza City residential Shujaya neighborhood

22.07.2014 - Update : 22.07.2014
UN's Ban calls for 'immediate' ceasefire in Gaza

CAIRO  

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday called for an "immediate" and "unconditional" ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Speaking during a press conference with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri in the Egyptian capital Cairo, Ban said violence on both sides [the Israeli and the Palestinian sides] must come to an end to open the door for dialogue.

He said if a ceasefire is not reached in Gaza, both the Palestinians and the Israelis would pay the price later.

He noted that a ceasefire initiative proposed by Egypt a week ago was turned down by the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, which expressed some reservations on the initiative.

The U.N. Chief added that a long time can be taken in fixing the initiative, which would open the door for more people to be die.

He said this is why violence must stop first to open the door for negotiations.

Ban described as terrible a recent Israeli attack on the eastern Gaza City residential Shujaya neighborhood.

Around 72 people were killed and more than 200 others injured in the Israeli attack on the neighborhood on Sunday, drawing Arab and international criticism.

The U.N. Chief expressed hopes that Egypt would reopen the Rafah Crossing on the border between Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and the Gaza Strip for humanitarian purposes.

- No plan to amend Gaza ceasefire initiative: Egypt FM
 

Meanwhile, Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri said that his country had no plans to introduce amendments to an initiative it proposed a week ago to bring about ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

"The Egyptian initiative is a comprehensive one," Shoukri said. "When we drafted it we had an eye on the need to make it acceptable to all parties," he added during the press conference with United Nations Secretary-General Ban in the Egyptian capital Cairo.

Media reports had it earlier that Egypt is ready to introduce amendments to the initiative, which was approved by Israel, but was turned down by the Gaza-based Palestinian resistance movement Hamas.

Shoukri said his country deal with the Rafah Crossing on the border between Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and the Gaza Strip within the context of relations between Egypt and Palestine.

He said the Egyptian government had allowed 500 tons of humanitarian aid and 50 tons of medical aid into the Gaza Strip over the past few days.

"The crossing is opened regularly, but everybody must be aware of the security conditions in the Sinai Peninsula," Shoukri said.

He said more than 2000 Palestinians crossed the border point over the past days.

Since July 7, at least 573 Palestinians have been killed – mostly civilians – and more than 3400 injured in unrelenting Israeli attacks on the besieged coastal enclave.

Sunday was the deadliest day yet of Israel's two-week-long onslaught, with at least 110 Palestinians – including 72 in Shujaya, a residential area of eastern Gaza City – killed by Israeli air and artillery attacks.

Israel's military operation, dubbed "Operation Protective Edge," is the self-proclaimed Jewish state's third major offensive against the densely-populated Gaza Strip – which is home to some 1.8 million Palestinians – within the last six years.

By Hagar al-Dosoki

www.aa.com.tr/en 

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