HAMAS MULLS OVER PROPOSED SOLUTIONS TO CLOSED RAFAH CROSSING

Gaza, 22 Rabiul Awal 1437/4 January 2016 (MINA) – The Hamas Movement has embarked on studying proposals it has received recently as part of an initiative to solve the crisis of the closed Rafah border crossing.

Its spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri stated on Saturday that these proposals were submitted to his Movement by different Palestinian parties, including factions, lawmakers and civil society activists.

Abu Zuhri expressed his Movement’s appreciation for such keenness on seeking a permanent solution to the issue of the Rafah crossing.

He said that his Movement started to study these proposals in order to ameliorate the humanitarian suffering of the population in Gaza, support their steadfastness, and achieve the national unity and partnership.

The proposals, which also were submitted to Fatah and the government in Ramallah, call for officially accepting the current employees working on the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing as government personnel and reinforce them with former civil servants to complement each other.

The initiative also suggests that presidential guard forces should be responsible for the security of the crossing.

The government, for its part, announced the formation of a committee chaired by its premier Rami al-Hamdallah and with the membership of his deputy and some ministers to deliberate on the proposed ideas and discuss them with all concerned parties. (T/P011/R03)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)