PA BLOCKS ISRAELI HUMANITARIAN GESTURE
(Communicated by the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories
Spokesperson)
Thursday, 22 July, 2004

Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories Maj.-Gen. Yosef
Mishlav, in coordination with the security establishment, decided today
(Thursday), 22.7.04, to open the Nitzana border crossing in order to enable
2,000 Palestinians, who are currently stuck in Egypt due to the closing of
Rafiah crossing, to return to the Gaza Strip. Since the security situation
in Gaza does not permit the Rafiah crossing to be opened, Maj.-Gen. Mishlav
took the aforementioned decision as a humanitarian gesture designed to meet
the needs of the Palestinian population.

However, Palestinian Authority (PA) have decided to block this initiative
and are preventing the stranded Palestinians from entering the Gaza Strip.
Maj.-Gen. Mishlav has condemned the PA decision and has said that Israel is
determined to do its utmost to assure the Palestinian population's quality
of life while balancing humanitarian interests with security concerns.