Arab League chief calls for breaking Gaza siege

GAZA - Arab League chief Amr Moussa Sunday called for an immediate lifting of Israeli blockade of the Palestinian territory.

“The siege must be broken and lifted,” Moussa told reporters after arriving at the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing on Gaza-Egypt borders, Xinhua reported.

Members from the deposed Hamas government and representatives of Palestinian factions received Moussa. This is the first visit of the highest Arab diplomat since Islamic Hamas movement took over Gaza in June 2007.

Moussa said he came to Gaza to see “the steadfastness of people before the arbitrary siege” and to see the situation 18 months after the end of Israel’s massive offensive on Gaza.

The stalled Palestinian reconciliation is also on the top of Moussa’s agenda in Gaza.

“The file of reconciliation is a key and real question,” Moussa said.

Hamas ousted Fatah-dominated security forces loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas in Gaza in a weeklong bloody infighting, restricting the Palestinian National Authority’s rule to the West Bank.

During his one-day trip, Moussa is expected to tour areas that Israel destroyed during its military operation on Gaza between December 2008 and January 2009.

Moussa will also meet deposed Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haneya at his residence in the Beach Refugee Camp in western Gaza city.