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Blair makes first visit to Gaza Blair pledges support for Gaza
(40 minutes later)
Former UK prime minister Tony Blair, now Middle East envoy, has arrived in Gaza for his first visit. Former UK prime minister Tony Blair has said the people of Gaza should be the focus "of all efforts" to bring peace to the Middle East.
At a UN school near the crossing with Israel, he is to meet business leaders and the UN director of operations in Gaza, John Ging. Mr Blair promised to relay appeals for assistance following Israel's offensive to world leaders meeting on Monday.
The BBC's Jeremy Bowen said they would discuss how to repair parts of the territory damaged in the recent war. Mr Blair was speaking on his first visit to Gaza since his appointment as Middle East peace envoy.
Mr Blair was appointed Middle East representative of the European Union, Russia, the UN and the US in June 2007. His visit comes a day before an international conference in Egypt on the reconstruction of Gaza.
The school he is visiting is in Izbet Beit Hanoun, in the north of the territory, and is run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which works with Palestinian refugees. Speaking at a UN-run school in in the northern town of Izbet Beit Hanoun, near the border with Israel, Mr Blair said: "I wanted to come to hear for myself first-hand from people in Gaza, whose lives have been so badly impacted by the recent conflict.
"Tony Blair has arrived in Gaza and should be at an UNRWA school shortly," a consulate spokeswoman told news agency AFP. "These are the people who need to be the focus of all our efforts for peace and progress from now on."
His visit comes a day before an international conference in Egypt on the reconstruction of Gaza following the Israeli operations there in December and January. Homes destroyed
The Middle East Quartet that Mr Blair represents is due to meet on the sidelines of the conference in the Sharm el-Sheikh resort. He said he would relay "their account of events, their assessment of what is needed for reconstruction, their goals for rebuilding a vibrant sector" to an international conference on Gaza reconstruction on Monday in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm El Sheikh.
He is not due to meet representatives from Palestinian group Hamas, although the visit was co-ordinated with them. During his visit Mr Blair, who is the Middle East representative of the European Union, Russia, the UN and the US, is due to meet Gaza business leaders and the UN director of operations in Gaza, John Ging.
The BBC's Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen said they would discuss how to repair parts of the territory damaged in the recent war in December and January.
Around 1,300 Palestinians, of whom 412 were children, were killed during the Israeli offensive and 21,000 homes were destroyed or badly damaged.
Mr Blair is not due to meet members of the governing party Hamas, although the visit has been co-ordinated with them.