Israel & PA Clinch Deal On Gaza-Egypt BorderIsraeli and Palestinian officials have clinched a long-awaited deal on the manning of the Gaza-Egypt border crossing, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Tuesday, after marathon Israeli-Palestinian talks through the night and well into Tuesday morning.
Under the deal, the border would tentatively open November 25, and construction of a Gaza seaport would begin.
Palestinians would be able to travel between the West Bank and Gaza in bus convoys through Israel.
The agreement gives the Palestinians control over a border for the first time and will provide a much-needed boost to the shattered Gaza economy. It also marks an important breakthrough for the sides, who so far have failed to capitalize on the momentum created by the withdrawal.Israel Radio reported Tuesday morning that according to the agreement, Palestinian customs officials will be stationed at the Kerem Shalom crossing between Israel and Gaza, with Israeli inspection of goods passing through, while at the Rafah crossing there will be a communications center with videos filming people crossing the Egypt-Gaza border.
The radio said that the videos will be monitored by Israeli officials, and European observers will have the final decision in the event of a dispute over passage for persons Israel deems suspicious and the Palestinian Authority believes should be allowed to cross.
FULL STORY at
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/644942.html
Deal On Gaza Crossings Reached
Israel and the Palestinian Authority have reached a U.S.-mediated agreement on the opening of the border crossings from Gaza to Egypt in Rafah and Kerem Shalom, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz announced on Tuesday following his meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
According to the agreement, an Israeli-Palestinian coordination center under European supervision will be established in Kerem Shalom, and live images will be transferred there.
The parties also agreed that the Kerem Shalom crossing will be used for the passage of vehicles and goods, and that the Rafah crossing will be used for the passage of goods and human beings. Only Palestinians holding PA identity cards will be allowed to enter and exit through the crossing.
FULL STORY at
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3169505,00.htmlIsrael, PA Reach Gaza Border Agreement
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1131955263395&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Israel, PA Reach Rafah Crossing Agreement
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/news.php3?id=93022