GAZA, (PIC)– The Palestinian government considered Israel’s failure to win reelection to the Universal Postal Union (UPU) Council of Administration as an additional victory, recorded for Palestine and particularly for the Gaza Strip which has been subjected to the occupation authorities’ siege since seven years.

The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in Gaza said in a statement that the Israeli occupation is imposing severe restrictions on mail transfer to and from the Palestinian territories and the Gaza Strip, in particular.

It added that it has been calling on the UPU, for a long time, to intervene to lift restrictions on Palestinian mail and to oblige the occupation to respect international covenants and instruments related to the freedom of mail transfer and to allow direct delivery of mail. However this request was rejected and the Palestinians will continue to receive mail under the current arrangements with Israel, which causes several losses to the citizens.

Ministry of Communications and Information Technology considered that the failure of Israel to win reelection to the Council of Administration is part of the price Israel is paying for its crimes against the Palestinian telecommunications sector and new evidence of its diplomatic isolation.

The ministry also expressed its hope that the elected Council of Administration, in the presence of Qatar and Egypt, would meet the repeated demands to end Israeli restrictions imposed on Palestinian mail and to expose its ongoing crimes against the Palestinian telecommunications Sector

It called on the new Council to take a firm decision that ensures the direct delivery of mail to the Palestinian territories in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip without being subjected to the occupation procedures.

The Israeli occupation was elected in the previous session to serve on the Council of Administration for the past four years, but lost its bid for reelection during the elections that were held in Doha, in Qatar, two days ago.

Qatar was elected to be the head of the UPU Council of administration. Forty other states, including five Arab countries Egypt, Kuwait, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and Sudan, were elected to form the members of the Council.

(occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com / 16.10.2012)