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Last update - 22:40 15/11/2008
Abbas calls Gaza blockade 'war crime' as UN closes food aid centers
By The Associated Press
Tags: Israel news, Ehud Olmert 

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Saturday said Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip was a "war crime," as the United Nations closed its food aid distribution centers in Gaza on Saturday.

"I would like to draw the attention of the international community to the tragedy that our people are enduring in Gaza and I call on them to intervene to end the unfair siege... which constitutes a war crime against our Palestinian people," Abbas said in published remarks.

The UN said it had to close the centers after the blockade, imposed in response cross-border rocket attacks, depleted its food reserves.
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Israel sealed Gaza's borders nearly two weeks ago as part of a new round of fighting between the Israel Defense Forces and Gaza's Hamas rulers.

The clashes, including Hamas rocket fire on Israeli border towns and Israel Air Force strikes on Gaza militants, have eroded a truce that had largely held for five months.

The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, called on Israel to open the crossings to humanitarian aid and also condemned the rocket fire on Israel.

"Measures that increase the suffering of Gaza's civilians are unacceptable and should cease immediately," he said in a statement.

In the Shati refugee camp near Gaza City, hundreds of people walked away empty-handed from a UN food distribution center Saturday. A note taped to the center's blue gate said that the day's round of distributions was put off until Dec. 13 because of a lack of food to distribute.

In all, the UN Relief and Works Agency distributes food to some 750,000 Gazans, or nearly half the territory's population. The needy get a new parcel of rice, flour, sugar and oil every three months. On Saturday, it would have been the turn of some 20,000 Gazans to pick up food supplies, UN aid officials said.

PA official: Abbas, Olmert to meet Mon. over Gaza violence

A Palestinian official said Saturday that Abbas will meet with outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem on Monday and raise his concern about renewed Gaza fighting.

A five-month-old truce between Gaza's Hamas rulers and Israel started unraveling last week as violence along the border was renewed. On Friday, at least 16 Qassam rockets were fired from Gaza into the western Negev. One Israeli sustained minor shrapnel wounds.

Negotiator Saeb Erekat said Saturday that President Mahmoud Abbas will also bring up continued Israeli settlement expansion in his talks with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

The two leaders have met regularly for the past year as part of U.S.-backed peace talks. However, all sides have acknowledged that they will not be able to achieve the end-of-year target for a peace deal.

Erekat says the two leaders will continue meeting to talk about bilateral concerns until the end of Olmert's term in three months.

Related articles:
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  • UN: Israel's border closures leave us with no food for Gaza
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      1.   The OUTGOING PM OLMERT is hardly the one to speak to 14:18  |  Dagma 15/11/08
      2.   What Can Abbas Do? 15:30  |  Jeff Northridge 15/11/08
      3.   The Land of Israel belongs exclusively to the people of Israel. 15:35  |  Mario Sala 15/11/08
      4.   BAN KI-MOON, BROTHER, NOW I`M RELIEVED MYSELF 18:41  |  indrajaya 15/11/08
      5.   thought 18:46  |  potobac 15/11/08
      6.   The UN should demand to see Gilad Shalit, a citizen of two 19:16  |  Jehudah Ben-Israel 15/11/08
      7.   The time has come........ 19:22  |  William 15/11/08
      8.   Is it another round of US payments to Israel and PLO 19:27  |  Sal 15/11/08
      9.   NO BODY IS STARVING IN GAZA 19:37  |  Barry Malone 15/11/08
      10.   Hamas is responsible 19:52  |  Realist 15/11/08
      11.   To # 3 potobac - Live and learn....Cause and effect. 19:56  |  Dolly 15/11/08
      12.   grocery shopping 20:05  |  Arie 15/11/08
      13.   Ban Ki-moon hasn`t heard of 1000 tunnels, blockade hardly hurting 20:07  |  Genuine Tosefta 15/11/08
      14.   potobac, Israelis simply do not care... 20:31  |  BBSNews 15/11/08
      15.   neturei karta was right 20:45  |  a jew 15/11/08
      16.   #3 Potobac. Nonsense. Pals just plain hate Israel. 21:03  |  Bling Bling 15/11/08
      17.   And the Bush adminmistration will condone it 21:36  |  Mikesailor 15/11/08
      18.   hating arabs is the jewish states national pastime 22:27  |  its compulsive 15/11/08
      19.   farfur and the schoolbooks teach the children to hate Israelis 22:40  |  x-ray 15/11/08
      20.   MORE BS FROM BBS 22:43  |  Brant 15/11/08
      21.   A question to the financer of the Munich massacre 22:48  |  Miche Norman 15/11/08
      22.   abbas hamas:same illogical fight 23:04  |  dean 15/11/08
      23.   June 16, 2007 - Sept. 2008: 35,542 trucks; 813,870 tons to Gaza 23:16  |  Arthur 15/11/08
      24.   indrajaya @#2 23:25  |  Akiva P 15/11/08
      25.   potobac`s "thought" not very deep 23:32  |  Akiva P 15/11/08
      26.   Hey Abbas..Israel is not the ONLY ONE to Blame.. 23:43  |  Ali 15/11/08
      27.   Arie BaGolan @#6, thanks for the laugh, brother! 23:45  |  Akiva P 15/11/08
      28.   BBSNews,"What goes around comes around." 23:57  |  Akiva P 15/11/08
      29.   time has come for supplies to come via egypt 00:11  |  yonah 16/11/08
      30.   "I" for Israel 01:03  |  Refugee 16/11/08
      31.   yonah, There is Another Alternative. 01:04  |  Reader 16/11/08
      32.   Bling Bling...your post is nonsense 01:24  |  kiwi girl 16/11/08
      33.   June2007 - Sept2008: 35,542 trucks; 813,870 tons to GAZA :siege? 01:26  |  Arthur 16/11/08
      34.   POTOBAC thoughtless.You want PR photos of Israeli children maimed 01:42  |  PETER SM 16/11/08
      35.   BBS Have you expressed any outrage at thousands of missile 01:48  |  PETER SM 16/11/08
      36.   BBSNews - insert "some" 02:16  |  Mark Lincoln 16/11/08
      37.   Abbas is not logical 02:43  |  Nat Weinstein 16/11/08
      38.   Starving Gazans 02:46  |  Jasper 16/11/08
      39.   yonah, There is Another Alternative. (2nd) 03:17  |  Reader 16/11/08
      40.   yonah, There is Another Alternative. (2nd) 03:18  |  Reader 16/11/08
      41.   I don`t get it 03:23  |  Golodh 16/11/08
      42.   No Positive Duty When Being Targeted 04:15  |  Brad 16/11/08
      43.   War is Hell 05:41  |  judith 16/11/08
      44.   blame Hamas, not Israel 06:15  |  Dan 16/11/08
      45.   this is the partner for peace? or todays farcical article ! 06:28  |  victor hardman 16/11/08
      46.   #26 to Akiva P 06:48  |  Warren J 16/11/08
      47.   Korban is coming: referring to picture 07:07  |  Zelkha 16/11/08
      48.   BBS Blah Blah 08:21  |  Golani 16/11/08
      49.   Not only did Israel truck in food but Hamas fired at the trucks! 09:09  |  x-ray 16/11/08
      50.   Golodh food supplies continued despite qassams 09:19  |  x-ray 16/11/08
      51.   Did U.S. send food aid to Bin Laden? Duh... 10:24  |  Yacov 16/11/08
      52.   Olmert cancels his planned holiday in Britain 10:24  |  Clickfool 16/11/08
      53.   Kiwi 10:48  |  Torquemada 16/11/08
      54.   Kiwi Girl 10:52  |  Torquemada 16/11/08
      55.   dolly 11 11:42  |  potobac 16/11/08
      56.   bling bling 16 11:46  |  potobac 16/11/08
      57.   akiva p 25 11:55  |  potobac 16/11/08
      58.   peter sm 34 11:59  |  potobac 16/11/08
      59.   Dan, If You Allow Imports Through the Tunnels... 15:26  |  Reader 16/11/08
      60.   UN food distribution? 15:33  |  lady from USA 16/11/08
      61.   Judith, Did You Want Pictures of Those They Bury? 15:38  |  Reader 16/11/08
      62.   I don`t trust Abbas 16:28  |  lady from USA 16/11/08
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