Security threat halts Blair Gaza trip

Former prime minister Tony Blair has pulled out of a visit to the Gaza Strip after a security alert.

Mr Blair was set to become the highest-level diplomat to go to the troubled region since Hamas Islamists took control of the coastal enclave a year ago but the trip was called off at the last minute.

Mr Blair's spokesman said the envoy called off the visit "due to a specific security threat which would have made it irresponsible to proceed, not just for those visiting but also the local community."

UN officials in the Gaza Strip confirmed the cancellation but said Mr Blair still hoped to visit the area in the future.

The Quartet of international mediators - the EU, the US, Russia and the UN - appointed Mr Blair a year ago with an economic focus to bolster chances for an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal.

Senior members of his staff arrived at Israel's Erez Crossing with the Gaza Strip and waited for two hours before the cancellation was announced. It was not immediately clear if Mr Blair was with them.

Israeli liaison official Peter Lerner said Israel had not barred the convoy from entering Gaza, where an Egyptian-mediated ceasefire with Hamas has been in effect since June 19.

"Mr Blair is a senior diplomat, he does not require our authorisation to enter Gaza," said Mr Lerner.

Mr Blair last visited the Gaza Strip in 1998 when he was prime minister.

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