PNA to build Gaza airport immediately after Israeli pullout
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-08-13 19:56

Palestinian National Authority (PNA) Deputy Prime Minister Nabil Shaath announced Saturday that the PNA would start immediately reconstructing the partially destroyed Gaza airport after the Israeli withdrawal.

Shaath made the announcement in a press conference held in Gaza City only two days before Israel officially implement its disengagement plan.

Israel would evacuate all 21 Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip and four in northern West Bank from August 15 and would force settlers to leave after August 17. The Israeli army would also withdrawal from both areas.

Shaath said that we didn't have no problem to reconstruct Gaza international airport and operate it, but this should be made in an official agreement between us and the Israeli government.

He added that after the withdrawal the Palestinians would reconstruct the airport and then an agreement would be reached on using the air of the Gaza Strip which would be controlled by Israel.

The PNA official said that Israelis destroyed the airport during the past four years for no reason, except for collective punishment, adding the Israelis didn't let us to rebuild it while they were there, but after they leave, it will be our right to rebuild it.

Shaath, meanwhile, proposed in the news conference that there has to be a third party to share both the Palestinians and the Egyptians the control on Rafah crossing on the borders between southern Gaza Strip and Egypt.

Bilateral talks between us and the Egyptians are still going on. We had explained to both Egypt and Israel that we want Rafah crossing to be kept at its place and not to be moved to another place, said Shaath.