JERUSALEM (JTA) — The head of the Arab League is visiting the Gaza Strip for the first time since Hamas took over.
Amr Moussa arrived Sunday in Gaza and called for an end to the blockade of the coastal strip that began in 2007 when Hamas took over.
Moussa entered Gaza through Egypt’s Rafah crossing, which has been open to allow people to cross since Israel intercepted a Gaza-bound flotilla on May 31. He was accompanied by Egyptian security police, according to Ynet.
Moussa is set to discuss reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah, as well as ending the blockade.
"This blockade which we are all here to confront must be broken and the position of the Arab League is clear," Moussa said upon crossing into Gaza. "The siege on the strip must be broken immediately and the Palestinian organizations must reconcile at once."
Though the trip was coordinated with the Palestinian Authority, Moussa is scheduled to meet with Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, and Hamas sees it as an endorsement of its rule, according to reports.
