Israel has denied Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas permission to visit the Gaza Strip, confirming the reality of the Israeli occupation of the enclave, the Palestinian President’s adviser on international relations and his special envoy, Minister Riyadh al-Maliki said.
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Earlier it was reported that the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) had asked the Israeli authorities for permission for PNA head Mahmoud Abbas to visit Gaza in the near future.
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“We did not ask permission. We announced that the president would go to Gaza. And then there was an Israeli response saying that they would not allow President Mahmoud Abbas to enter Gaza. This only means that Gaza is under Israeli military occupation. But we do not ask permission from the Israeli occupiers so that the Palestinian president can visit any part of the Palestinian territory. This is obvious,” the politician said.
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At the same time, according to him, the Palestinian authorities refuse to come to terms with this state of affairs, although they recognize the reality of the occupation.
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“Abbas knew in advance that Israel would not allow him to go to Gaza. That is why he requested support and security guarantees from the UN Security Council – in order to overcome the Israeli refusal to enter Gaza,” al-Maliki explained.
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Palestinian President Abbas announced his intention to visit Gaza on August 15.
