JERUSALEM – US president Barack Obama’s Middle East envoy said yesterday that the new administration’s push for Israeli-Palestinian peace after the war in the Gaza Strip faced big hurdles and he warned of setbacks ahead.
The sombre assessment by former US senator George Mitchell followed two days of talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders on shoring up a shaky ceasefire that ended Israel’s 22-day offensive against Hamas.
In the talks, Israel has baulked at fully reopening Gaza’s border crossings to allow reconstruction. Washington supports Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas in his power struggle with Iranian-backed Hamas for control of the passages, Gaza’s gateway to the outside world and a major political and economic prize.
Mr Mitchell said consolidating the truce and “immediately” addressing the humanitarian needs of Gaza’s 1.5 million residents were the US administration’s top priorities. “Then we must move forward, he added, citing Mr Obama’s commitment to “aggressively” seek a peace deal.
US-backed talks between Israel and the Palestinians stalled last year in discord over Jewish settlement expansion and the future of Jerusalem. Diplomats said reviving them after the war would be very difficult and would take time.
In keeping with long-standing US policy, Mr Mitchell did not meet during his visit with Hamas, which won a 2006 Palestinian election but has been shunned as a “terrorist” group by western powers for refusing to renounce violence and recognise Israel.
Yesterday a senior member of the Hamas leadership, which went underground when Israel launched its offensive, appeared in public to address a rally. Khalil Al-Hayya, one of three survivors of the five best-known Hamas leaders, told supporters the group had achieved victory in the war and was now engaged in a political battle. “We promised to come out to you either as martyrs or as victors,” he said. “Today I come out to you and you are victors.”
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh gave an interview to al-Quds television on Thursday from an undisclosed location, and remains in seclusion.
Mr Hayya tried to reassure Palestinians whose houses had been destroyed by Israel. “The reconstruction is coming, do not be worried about that,” he said, adding that the Hamas government intended to pay the salaries of its employees.
“I tell the resistance fighters, I tell the Qassam fighters, do not drop your weapons, do not put your weapons aside and do not abandon your trenches,” Mr Hayya said. “I assure our people that the leaders who led the battle of victory are now leading the battle of politics. We are still in the midst of the battle and we are engaging politically,” he said.
At the UN warehouse in Gaza yesterday, Mr Mitchell announced that President Obama had approved $20 million in new assistance for the Strip. The money, which will go to two UN agencies and the Red Cross, will be used to provide food, medicine and shelter, officials said.
John Ging, who heads operations of the UN Palestinian refugees agency UNRWA in Gaza and met Mr Mitchell in Jerusalem, told reporters that UNRWA would be sending Israel a bill for damage to its buildings. But he said Israel had not responded to similar claims previously. – (Reuters)