Westerwelle is first German minister to visit Gaza in four years

Nov 8, 2010, 8:37 GMT

Gaza City - German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle became the first member of the German government to visit the Gaza Strip in nearly four years on Monday, when he visited a girl's school in the salient and also toured a water treatment plant.

Westerwelle, who arrived in Israel Sunday, also met with local businessmen to discuss economic problems in the enclave, which has bene under an Israeli blockade since the summer of 2006.

In a news conference in Jerusalem Sunday with his Israeli counterpart Avigdor Lieberman, Westerwelle called on Israel to allow exports to leave the Strip, saying such a move was 'necessary.'

Israel imposed its blockade after militants from the enclave, led by Hamas, launched a raid in which they snatched an Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, who is still being held.

The blockade was significantly tightened in June 2007, when in a week of bloody violence, Hamas militants routed security personnel loyal to the Palestinian Authority and President Mahmoud Abbas, and seized full control of the Gaza Strip.

Westerwelle has said he does not intend to meet any officials from Hamas, which is subject to a western diplomatic boycott, over its repeated refusal to renounce violence, honour previous Israeli-Palestinian agreements and accept Israel's right to exist.

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