UN proposal regarding the Gaza Strip causes a storm

Bethlehem – Ma'an – 1/08/07. A draft proposed by Qatar and Indonesia to the United Nation Security Council caused a storm of debate between the delegation from Qatar, the Arabic member of the council and the representative of the Palestinian Authority.

According to the London-based newspaper, Asharq Al-Awsat (Middle East), the proposal concerned the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.

Riad Mansour, the Palestinian representative, described the differences as procedural, saying that the debate ensued "because the draft was prepared without our knowledge."

Mansour told Asharq Al-Awsat that statements such as made in the Qatari-Indonesian draft are subject to consultation between council members, but that the Qatari delegation had not conferred with the Palestinian delegation on the issue.

"We were surprised by the behaviour of the Qatari delegation," Mansour said.

According to the London-based newspaper, Mansour hinted that the draft interfered in Palestinian internal affairs. Qatar denied having any negative intentions.

The representative for Qatar, Nasser Abdul Aziz, told Asharq Al-Awsat that "we don't have any political agenda; all that we are concerned about is to aid the Palestinians. We behave in accordance with national and humanitarian requirements."

Aziz expressed his astonishment as to the Palestinian representative's position who, he claimed, "Called on the council members to oppose the proposal and asked them not to do anything regarding the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip."

The Qatari representative added that the draft was voted down "because the United States opposed it."

The Qatari draft concentrated on the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and did not use the phrase 'the occupied lands'. It expresses regret in regard to the situation in Gaza. In another paragraph of the draft, it calls on a quick solution to the issue of the stranded Palestinians at the Rafah Crossing on the Egypt-Gaza border.

A third point stresses the necessity of the guarantee for the arrival of humanitarian aid to the strip; electricity, fuel and water. The draft's last paragraph calls on the international community to resume emergency aid to the Gaza Strip.