Xinhua Middle East news summary at 2200 GMT, Feb. 8

GAZA -- Dozens of Palestinian patients including the disabled protested on Thursday at the Erez border crossing in northern Gaza against Israel's 11-year-long siege on the coastal enclave.

The protesters said patients who are in severe need of access to medical treatment encounter great obstacles in receiving permits from the Israeli authorities. (Gaza-Patients Protest-Israel)

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CAIRO -- Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit said on Thursday that the turmoil in the Arab region increases the difficulty of finding an effective integrated developmental system.

Abul Gheit's comments came during the inaugural session of the 101st round of the Economic and Social Council of the Arab League held under Sudan. (Arab-Turmoil-Development)

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AMMAN -- U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will travel to Jordan next week as part of a five-nation regional tour, the U.S. embassy in Amman said Thursday.

Tillerson will travel to Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt and Kuwait on Feb. 11-16, the embassy said in a statement, a copy of which was obtained by Xinhua. (Jordan-U.S.-Tillerson Visit)

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RABAT -- Morocco and China expressed on Thursday their strong willingness to further cement their economic and trade ties.

The pledge was made at the 6th session of the Morocco-China Joint Committee for Economic Cooperation, chaired by Moulay Hafid Elalamy, the Moroccan minister of industry, investment, trade and digital economy, with visiting Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Qian Keming. (Morocco-China-Economic Ties) Enditem