Israel’s Gaza pullout must lead to West Bank, East Jerusalem exit – UN committee

A United Nations committee on Palestinian rights has called for Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza to be followed by similar steps in the whole of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, leading to a just and lasting solution of the Middle East conflict.

“Although the decision of the Israeli Government to remove settlements from the Gaza Strip and parts of the northern West Bank was a unilateral one, it resulted in a resumption of direct security coordination between the parties,” the Bureau of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, said in a statement.

“The Bureau of the Committee expresses the hope that the positive momentum gained as a result of the removal of settlements from the Gaza Strip and parts of the northern West Bank will be followed by similar steps in the rest of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and breathe new life into the political process, leading to a comprehensive, just and lasting solution of the question of Palestine and the exercise by the Palestinian people of its inalienable rights,” it added.

It stressed that that the Gaza pull-out should be complete and irreversible, allowing the Palestinian Authority to exercise control over its borders, crossing points, sea and airspace, as well as guaranteeing an unhindered flow of people and goods into and out of Gaza.

“The construction and operation of a seaport and an airport, as well as a permanent geographical link to the West Bank are absolutely vital for the Palestinian economy,” the bureau said, calling on the international donor community to live up to its commitments to provide necessary aid quickly and efficiently to revitalize Gaza’s economy.