Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told US Middle East envoy George Mitchell today that it is time to put an end to the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip, dpa reported. The Palestinian president told Mitchell that the US should change its entire pro-Israel policy starting with putting an end to the Israeli blockade on Gaza, chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat told reporters in Ramallah after the Abbas-Mitchell meeting. Mitchell was first scheduled to meet Abbas in the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem, where Abbas earlier had opened the second Palestine Investment Conference attended by more than 1,000 business delegates from around the world. Mitchell was in the region heading a US delegation to the investment conference. "The president told Mitchell that there is no excuse to keep Gaza under blockade," said Erekat. Abbas is to travel to Washington next week for a meeting with US President Barack Obama on June 9.
