Gaza crossings must be opened for rebuilding, urges Blair

Tony Blair. Photo / AP

Tony Blair added to international pressure on Israel likely to be exerted at the Egypt-hosted post-war reconstruction summit overnight by calling for Gaza's crossings to be opened for basic building and other commercial goods.

On his first and long-awaited visit to the Palestinian territory as Middle East envoy, the former British Prime Minister yesterday asserted that the 20-month blockade inflicted on the territory's 1.5 million inhabitants "does not work".

He also called for an end to violence, including rockets fired by Gaza militants into Israel.

Blair was speaking after meeting senior United Nations officials, prominent Gaza businessmen and civil society leaders who pressed for an early opening of the crossings to help the reconstruction of some 15,000 homes, destroyed and damaged by Israel's 22-day offensive, and start reviving Gaza's collapsed economy.

The envoy whose visit to a UN school in this northern Gaza town was the first since he came here as Prime Minister in November 2001 acknowledged before flying to Sharm el Sheikh for the reconstruction conference that the "devastation is enormous' and said it was necessary to "find a different and better way of dealing with this situation".

He said unless there was material for rebuilding Gazan homes, and some hope of economic improvement, it would "undermine the prospect of peace". He added: "A blockade of all the Gaza people does not work."

His remarks reinforce indications that Hillary Clinton, the United States Secretary of State who brings a pledge of up to US$900 million ($1.82 billion) to the conference before she visits Israel and the West Bank this week is also pressing Israel to open the crossings to more than basic humanitarian goods, at least to hasten the process of reconstruction.

The moderate Palestinian leadership based in the West Bank which wants to take the responsibility and the political credit for reconstruction has submitted a US$2.8 billion plan to donors.

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