Palestinian Pres. declares readiness to control Gaza strip

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on the international community Tuesday to ensure a permanent ceasefire and complete withdrawal of the Israeli occupation from the Gaza Strip. This came during his speech at the main session of the "Gaza Emergency Humanitarian Response Conference" which is hosted by Jordan in the Dead Sea. In his statement, Abbas announced that the Palestinian government is prepared to take control of the Gaza Strip once the conflict ends. Abbas added that it is the responsibility of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and the international community to pressure Israeli occupation to open all land crossings into the Gaza Strip. For his part, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed deep concern over the crisis in Gaza, emphasizing the severe lack of support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). Jordan, Egypt, and the United Nations aiming to identify ways to strengthen the international community's response to the humanitaria n crisis in Gaza, are jointly holding the conference. Representative of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Al-Yahya participated in the conference. Source: Kuwait News Agency