Israel's withdrawal from Arab land, a must

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher Tuesday underlined that the United Nations resolutions clearly stipulated Israel's pullout from all the occupied Arab lands that were seized in 1967.

Maher, at a press conference held Tuesday, referred to Palestinian-Israeli agreements on Israel's withdrawal from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

These remarks came while Maher was answering a question by a reporter on a proposal raised by Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres on setting up the State of Palestine in Gaza.

Maher explained that the UN resolutions on that score were the basis that could not be violated.

Answering another question on the quadrilateral meeting that will be held Wednesday at the Arab League grouping besides him, Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, AL Secretary-General Amr Moussa and Jordanian Foreign Minister Abdel Ilah Al Khateeb, Maher said the meeting is designed to tackle the dangerous situation in the Palestinian lands.

Answering another question on whether Israel's closure of the Rafah checkpoint was considered a measure against Egypt or Palestine, Maher said that the measure was against any action for a peace settlement in the region.

The measure comes as part of other steps taken by Israel contradicting all signed agreements, said Maher, asserting that Israel's occupation of the Orient House in Jerusalem was illegitimate.

Israel is going too far in its provocative measures, he pointed out.