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UN envoy hails Israeli decision to resume private imports of cement into Gaza

Xinhua, May 24, 2016 Adjust font size:

The UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, Nickolay Mladenov, on Monday welcomed Israel's decision to resume the private import of cement into Gaza after nearly 45 days of suspension, a UN spokesman said here.

"This has become possible because of the efforts by both the Israeli and Palestinian authorities," Stephane Dujarric said at a daily news briefing here. "He said that all sides need to ensure that cement deliveries reach their intended beneficiaries and are used solely for civilian purposes."

The United Nations continues to call for a full lift of all closures on Gaza, as envisioned in Security Council Resolution 1860 (2009), the spokesman said.

Mladenov said that a permanent end to the suffering of the Palestinian people can only be achieved through reuniting Gaza and the West Bank under a single, legitimate and democratic Palestinian national authority and the realization of the two-state solution.

The two-state solution, widely backed by the international community, means a secure Israel to live in peace with an independent State of Palestine.

On Sunday, Israel said the transfer of cement to the besieged Gaza Strip was renewed, for the first time since Israel halted the import in April, citing security concerns.

The freeze on cement imports brought the reconstruction of homes and residential buildings to a halt. Cost of cement went skyrocketing, and unemployment rate hit more than 41 percent in the first three months of 2016.

Gaza was badly hit during Israel's military campaign in July-August 2014. Israel pounded the enclave with airstrikes and artillery shells for 51 days, leaving Gaza in ruins and killing at least 2,251 people, according to the UN. Enditem