Gaza officials stress commitment to reconciliation

Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said Monday that reconciliation between his Hamas party and rivals Fatah will set the path for freeing Palestine. "We need reconciliation to return Palestine to an Arab nation," he said at a welcoming ceremony for the Miles of Smiles 13 convoy that entered Gaza late Sunday. "The Palestinian people support the real reconciliation, without giving up our resistance or our rights," he continued. The premier applauded convoy participants for symbolizing that while Gaza is cut off from the world, the Palestinian people are not alone in confronting the Israeli occupation. Meanwhile Gaza Foreign Minister Ghazi Hamad told a conference in the Gaza Strip that reconciliation must be implemented without Israeli interference. International and Arab nations should take real stances to support Palestinians and end Israeli violations, he said at the Foreign Ministry and Ministry of Planning conference for the Miles of Smiles delegates.