Top > World > 2005 > November > 2005-11-16

Rice, in Jerusalem, secures Gaza agreement

After marathon all-night negotiations, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Tuesday announced a comprehensive agreement between Israel and the Palestinians designed to open up the Gaza strip to Israel and the outside world. The deal set terms for freedom of movement on three borders: traffic across the Rafah border into Egypt, Gaza`s main link with the outside world, commercial trucks at the Karni crossing into Israel, and bus convoys between Gaza and the West Bank, the separated parts of the Palestinian Authority.

Just as important in the long-term, the deal allows the Palestinians to begin work on Gaza`s airport and seaport. The deal is the most significant movement in the peace process since Israel`s withdrawal from Gaza two months ago and the first broad agreement between the two sides in nine months, since talks at Sharm-el Sheikh, Egypt.

For the first time since 1967, the Palestinians will gain access of the borders in the areas where they live, Rice said at an unusual press conference with international envoy James Wolfensohn and European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana just for the press traveling with Rice, but no local journalists. The target date for the opening of Rafah is Nov. 25.