HANEYYA PRAISES TUNISIAN PRESIDENT’S CALLS TO LIFT THE SIEGE ON GAZA

Gaza, 23 Dhul Qaida 1434/29 September 2013 (MINA) – Prime Minister Ismail Haneyya praised Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki’s statements at the General Assembly of the United Nations calling on Egyptian authorities to lift the siege on the Gaza Strip.

Haneyya said Saturday (28/9) in a statement to ALRAY news agency that “this position reflects the honesty of the Tunisian president and people, PIC reported as quoted by Mi’raj News Agency (MINA).

Marzouki had demanded on Thursday evening, in his speech before the General Assembly, the Egyptian authorities to lift the siege on the Gaza Strip “I hope the Egyptian authorities will remove all restrictions on the movement of persons and goods in and out of Gaza.”

Marzouki added that “this struggling zone [Gaza Strip] has suffered enough; the Palestinian people have suffered enough from Israeli occupation and [the West Bank] settlements.”

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Egyptian forces continued to demolish lifeline tunnels under the Gaza- Egypt border which resulted in significant shortages of goods including fuel and construction materials in coincidence with the continued Israeli unfair siege for the past seven years.

President Moncef Marzouki of Tunisia has called on the Egyptian authorities to release ousted President Mohammed Morsi and all political detainees. Speaking at the UN General Assembly, Marzouki said that the release of Morsi and the political detainees would be a courageous initiative but it would definitely defuse the anger in society and bring an end to the violence. He stressed that this would also encourage all parties to return to dialogue for the good of Egypt.

Commenting on the strict siege of the Gaza Strip, the Tunisian president called for an end to the suffering of the Palestinians by opening the crossings and allowing goods and people to facilitate normal daily life in the besieged territory. It is clear that Marzouki was directing his comments towards the Egyptians: “It is enough that the Palestinian people are suffering under the Zionist occupation,” he said.

Tunisia, he added in a speech which covered the major issues in the region, supports a political solution to the crisis in Syria. He asked the international community to support his country’s initiative for the establishment of an international constitutional court which will protect people from dictatorships.

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“Can you imagine if such a court as able to issue a ruling that nullified the election of Bashar Al-Assad because it was against the right of the people to choose their ruler through free and transparent elections?” he asked.

President Marzouki was a human rights activist before the Tunisian revolution which toppled the country’s dictator in 2011. He said that although what is going on in the Arab Spring countries is sometime thought to be a nightmare, the people will never again allow themselves to be oppressed by dictators.

– See more at: http://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/africa/7553-tunisian-president-calls-for-morsis-release-and-the-opening-of-gaza-crossings#sthash.z6jYZjXJ.dpuf(T/P03/P04)