Blair to help with Gaza border crisis

Tony Blair will travel to the Middle East next week to help find a solution to Gaza’s border crisis, a senior EU official said today.

The Mideast Quartet envoy and former prime minister will be joined by the EU’s foreign policy chief Javier Solana.

Speaking in Vienna, EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said: “All of them will try to work together with all the parties – that is the Egyptians, that is the Israelis, and that is, of course, the Palestinian Authority – to find a solution to a better freedom of movement, of access, particularly on the Rafah crossing.”

Ms Ferrero-Waldner, speaking after a Mideast Quarter conference call, also stressed it was important to ensure that Palestinians had access to basic supplies.

The Mideast Quartet is made up of the US, Russia, the EU and the UN.