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| Adams urges talks on Gaza visit | Adams urges talks on Gaza visit |
| (41 minutes later) | |
| Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams urged Israelis and Palestinians to hold direct talks as he visited Gaza on Wednesday. | Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams urged Israelis and Palestinians to hold direct talks as he visited Gaza on Wednesday. |
| Israeli officials are unhappy about Mr Adams' visit as he has not ruled out meeting officials from Hamas. Hamas, which rules Gaza, is listed as a terrorist organization by Israel, the US and EU. | Israeli officials are unhappy about Mr Adams' visit as he has not ruled out meeting officials from Hamas. Hamas, which rules Gaza, is listed as a terrorist organization by Israel, the US and EU. |
| Mr Adams toured parts of northern Gaza devastated by the Israeli operation in the Palestinian territory in January. | Mr Adams toured parts of northern Gaza devastated by the Israeli operation in the Palestinian territory in January. |
| He said: "The obligation is that what happened here doesn't happen again," | He said: "The obligation is that what happened here doesn't happen again," |
| "And that means there needs to be negotiations and that means that the leadership in Israel and the leadership in the Palestinian territories need to be involved in a direct dialogue. | "And that means there needs to be negotiations and that means that the leadership in Israel and the leadership in the Palestinian territories need to be involved in a direct dialogue. |
| "The international community, particularly the US, need to be actively encouraging that." | "The international community, particularly the US, need to be actively encouraging that." |
| Mr Adams met John Ging, director of operations in Gaza for the UN Refugee and Works Agency, which supports Palestinian refugees. | Mr Adams met John Ging, director of operations in Gaza for the UN Refugee and Works Agency, which supports Palestinian refugees. |
| He also visited an ice cream factory which was destroyed during the war and spoke with its owner. | He also visited an ice cream factory which was destroyed during the war and spoke with its owner. |
| On Tuesday Mr Adams visited Sderot and Kfar Aza - a town and Kibbutz - in southern Israel that have been the targets for rocket attacks from Gaza. | |
| Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams urges Israelis and Palestinians to hold direct talks | Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams urges Israelis and Palestinians to hold direct talks |
| Before Mr Adams set off for the Middle East Israeli officials said they would not meet him because he would not rule out meeting Palestinian militants. | Before Mr Adams set off for the Middle East Israeli officials said they would not meet him because he would not rule out meeting Palestinian militants. |
| They had threatened not to allow him to enter Gaza. | They had threatened not to allow him to enter Gaza. |
| The Sinn Féin leader, who met Hamas members when he last visited the Middle East in 2006, said he regretted the Israeli government's refusal to meet him. | The Sinn Féin leader, who met Hamas members when he last visited the Middle East in 2006, said he regretted the Israeli government's refusal to meet him. |
| "As the leader of a party which was censored and demonised and whose members were killed, I see dialogue between all sides as key to building a successful peace process," he said. | "As the leader of a party which was censored and demonised and whose members were killed, I see dialogue between all sides as key to building a successful peace process," he said. |
| "So I will meet with all sides and urge all sides to end all armed actions and to engage in meaningful dialogue. | "So I will meet with all sides and urge all sides to end all armed actions and to engage in meaningful dialogue. |
| "I believe there should be a complete cessation of all hostilities and freedom of movement for everyone." | "I believe there should be a complete cessation of all hostilities and freedom of movement for everyone." |
| Mr Adams said there were "similarities" between the Northern Ireland peace process and the Middle East, but "there are also significant differences". | Mr Adams said there were "similarities" between the Northern Ireland peace process and the Middle East, but "there are also significant differences". |
| "But it is clear that finding solutions will require leadership on both sides, and a willingness to take risks, initiatives, and compromise," he said. | "But it is clear that finding solutions will require leadership on both sides, and a willingness to take risks, initiatives, and compromise," he said. |