PA official accuses EU observes of connivance with Israel against Palestinians

Gaza – After reneging on their pledges for the fifth successive time, PA crossing director Saleem Abu Safeyya has plainly accused Wednesday the EU observes in Rafah of conniving with Israel to keep the Rafah terminal sealed off.

He charged that the EU observes, who were originally stationed at the terminal to facilitate crossing pf Palestinian citizens in and out of Gaza Strip through that exit, were totally bowing to Israeli dictates and will.

“We were surprised with the news affirming that IOF troops denied the EU observes any access to the terminal and that the exit will remain closed till further notice”, said Abu Safeyya.

Palestinian security sources revealed that the IOF have told the EU observes not to proceed to the terminal for security reasons without specifying a new date for reopening it.

It became the habit of IOF troops to justify the continued closure of the terminal for security reasons; yet, they never explained the nature of those security concerns.

MP Mohammed Dahlan, who was one of the main figures of the former PA government and inked the infamous American-sponsored crossing agreement, had promised the Palestinian people that they will have absolute control over the terminal, and that Israel will have no authority whatsoever on the exit.

Yet; facts on the ground proved that all those promises were deceptive, and the terminal was absolutely under the mercy of Israel to open and close it at will; thus substantiating concerns and reservations put by Hamas when that agreement was signed.

On Thursday, Nazmi Muhanna, director of the terminal, expressed homes that the crossing point might be reopen today based on “Israeli promises”.

For its part, the Palestinian Meezan (scale) human rights center deplored the continued closure of the terminal, confirming that it will leave adverse repercussions on Palestinian citizens living in the densely Gaza Strip.

The center charged that Israel was psychologically torturing thousands of Palestinian citizens eager to leave the Strip and join their works and universities abroad.

“Students and visitors spending their vacation among their beloved ones in the Strip were repeatedly packing up their luggage every time news on reopening the terminal is announced; but putdown everything when Israel reneges on those pledges”, said the center.

It added that many of the stranded Palestinians were threatened to be dismissed from jobs abroad as their vacations expired while in the Strip, while others have perhaps lost their residency permits in their workplaces abroad, it underlined.

The center further charged that noticeable international indifference towards those Israeli flagrant acts has indeed encouraged Israel to continue those measures and to escalate its bloody crimes against the Palestinian people.