The office of PA premier Ismail Haneyya announced on Monday that the premier would embark on an Arab and Islamic tour when the Rafah terminal the only gateway for Gazans to the outside world was open to all Palestinians and not only to allow him travel.
Office sources told PIC that Haneyya would visit Egypt Syria Lebanon Qatar Kuwait Iran and Saudi Arabia. They added that the delegation accompanying the premier would group his office director Dr. Mohammed Al-Madhon and the PA government’s official spokesman Dr. Ghazi Hamad.
For his part Haneyya said that his tour aims at rallying support to the Palestinian position in the light of the continued American-led siege on the Palestinian people and government.
He said that the tour primarily aims at serving the Palestinian people and at boosting relations with sisterly Arab countries.
This will be the first time that Haneyya heads for a foreign tour since he assumed office last March. Palestinian sources expected the Rafah terminal to open on Tuesday.
The premier said that the minimum Palestinian demand at present is represented in the establishment of a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders and return of refugees. He thus refused Israeli premier Ehud Olmert’s demands in a speech earlier Monday asking the Palestinians to implement the roadmap plan and to abide by the conditions of the international quartet committee.
Haneyya also stressed that Israeli attacks on all Palestinian areas should come to a halt supporting the Palestinian factions’ warning of a truce collapse in the event Israeli assassinations and attacks persisted in the West Bank.
