PLC WARNS EGYPT: FLOODING TUNNELS WILL HARM PALESTINIAN ECONOMY

of children walking on the wetlands created by the Egyptian army on the Egypt-side of Rafah 

Gaza, 17 Muharram 1437/30 October 2015 (MINA) – Steps taken by Egypt to flood its border with Gaza with sea water will have serious repercussions on the Palestinians living in the area and on bilateral relations, the Palestinian Legislative Council in Gaza warned.

PLC deputy speaker, Ahmed Bahr said: “The Egyptian authorities’ flooding of the border area is a violation of the Palestinian people’s right to live in dignity and in a clean and healthy environment.”

Bahr pointed out during a special session held in Gaza City yesterday that flooding the border area will lead to flooding Rafah city and affect all aspects of life there including water, food, housing and security in the enclave.

“The project constitutes a serious threat to Egyptian-Palestinian relations in the political and strategic dimensions and will negatively affect the Egyptian role in the Palestinian cause,” Bahr said, calling on the Egyptian authorities to immediately halt the project, Middle  East Monitor (MEMO) reported, Friday (30/10).

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Meanwhile, the head of Internal Security and Local Governance Committee at the PLC, Ismail Al-Ashqar said the tunnels which the Egyptian authorities claim to be flooding had been destroyed by the Egyptian army a long time ago.

In a report, Al-Ashqar warned that the Egyptian project will exacerbate the economic suffering of the Palestinian people and result in destroying the agricultural land there as well as sabotaging the economic and construction projects in the area.

The report called on the United Nations to assume its responsibilities and compel the Egyptian authorities to respect the rules governing relations between neighbouring states.

The report also called on the Arab League to convene a special meeting of Arab foreign ministers to discuss the security, economic, health, environmental, social and legal implications of the Egyptian project.

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It also held Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas responsible for what it said was his “involvement” in the Egyptian regime’s project. (T/P002/R04)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)

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