Palestine calls for international pressure on Israel to facilitate visit of Mahmoud Abbas to Gaza

RAMALLAH, Palestine: Palestine called on Friday for international pressure on Israel to facilitate President Mahmoud Abbas’ planned visit to the Gaza Strip.

Varsen Aghabekian Shahin, the Palestinian Authority’s minister of state for foreign affairs, told Anadolu that Palestine “is moving forward with plans for President Abbas’s visit to the Gaza Strip.”

She urged international pressure on Israel to allow the visit, stating that “all countries aware of the visit should participate in its arrangements and exert pressure on the occupying state (Israel).” We hope the visit happens.”

Shahin stated that a Palestinian committee had been formed to facilitate and organize the visit to the enclave, where Israel has killed over 40,000 people since Hamas’ cross-border attack last October.

According to Wasel Abu Yousef, a member of the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s (PLO) executive committee, Israel has yet to officially approve or reject the upcoming visit.

“All we hear about rejection is through the Israeli media. “We are working hard to make the visit a success,” he told Anadolu.

Abu Yousef confirmed that several countries, including Arab, European, and African states, as well as the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the Arab League, and the United Nations, had been contacted to put pressure on Tel Aviv.

According to two unnamed sources, Palestinian Civil Affairs Minister Hussein al-Sheikh sent a message to Israeli National Security Council chairman Tzachi Hanegbi last week, requesting coordination for Abbas’ visit to Gaza via Israeli territory (the Strip’s northern border) rather than the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.

According to the website, the minister also forwarded a copy to the US administration, urging it to request permission from Israel for the visit.

“If Abbas receives a positive response and makes the visit, it would be a significant political victory over Hamas, allowing him to suggest that the Palestinian Authority return to Gaza,” the news site stated. Abbas’s last visit to Gaza occurred in 2006.

Abbas told Turkey’s parliament last week that he planned to visit Gaza and Jerusalem to protest Israel’s war on the enclave.