Swiss ambassador to UN calls for Gaza panel
Switzerland's ambassador to the United Nations says the country wants to see the creation of a panel for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.
Peter Maurer told an open meeting of the UN Security Council that the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians had left Gaza in a state of misery.
He called on the UN to establish a mechanism to guarantee the delivery of humanitarian aid, adding that Israel was obligated to provide access.
Maurer reiterated Switzerland's call for Israel to freeze the building of settlements and said the planned destruction of Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem was unwarranted.
The Swiss ambassador also noted that the security concerns of Israel had to be taken into account. Maurer said the Palestinians had to renounce violence and called rocket fire directed at civilians unacceptable under any circumstances.
Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey will discuss Switzerland's proposals for the Middle East with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday, according to the Swiss news agency.
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