RAMALLAH, 19 Oct (JMCC) - From Damascus, former US President Jimmy Carter called on
Israel to lift the three-year old blockade of
Gaza.
The blockade is one of the most serious human rights violations on Earth and it must be lifted fully, said Carter after a meeting with
Hamas leader Khaled Meshal and Syrian President Bashar Assad. Carter is currently touring the Middle East as part of the international delegation formed by Nelson Mandela in 2007 called The Elders.
Following their talks with Assad and Meshal, The Elders said people in the region have very low expectations that the current US-led talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, which excluded Hamas, would succeed.
Besides Carter, the Elders delegation includes former Irish president Mary Robinson and former UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi. While in Gaza, the group described Israel's blockade as an illegal collective punishment and an impediment to peace.
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Haaretz...