Blair cancels Gaza visit after threats

by Dave Keating | July 15, 2008 at 02:12 am

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Middle East peace envoy Tony Blair, who was scheduled to visiting Gaza this summer, has had to cancel the trip because of unspecified threats on hsi life. It would have been the highest level diplomatic visit since the militant Group Hamas was elected to leadership in the territory.

Tony Blair today cancelled a planned visit to Gaza in his role as Middle East peace envoy after what his spokeswoman described as threats made against him.

The planned trip would have been the highest-level diplomatic mission to the territory since the militant Hamas group seized control of it a year ago.

Ruti Winterstein, Blair's spokeswoman, said the visit had been called off because of "specific threats" against the former prime minister, giving no further details.

Blair had been expected to meet traders and inspect a sewage project being built with international funds. He had not been due to meet any officials from Hamas, viewed by Israel, the US and EU as a terrorist organisation.