United Nations, Feb 12, SPA -- The United Nations will not accept sixteen humanitarian aid convoys seized by the Palestinian militant group Hamas, the U.N. spokesperson’s office told SPA on Monday. Agence France-Presse reported that a Hamas spokesman said that the aid was seized to prevent it reaching the Jordanian Red Crescent society offices in Gaza. The Red Crescent operates under the authority of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose Fatah party was ousted from power in Gaza by Hamas. After seizing the aid, Hamas offered it to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, a U.N. agency working with Palestinian refugees, which refused to accept it. UNRWA’s Gaza field director John Ging told Hamas representatives that the agency “would not accept the Hamas proposal, as the aid was intended for the Palestinian Red Crescent Society and should not have been seized,” the U.N. spokesperson’s office told SPA. Meanwhile, the spokesperson’s office also announced Monday that U.N. Secretary General Ban ki-Moon will meet U.S. President George W. Bush and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice this Friday to discuss the situation in the Middle East. Rice is reportedly also planning a trip to the region, a claim denied by the State Department despite its mention by Palestinian politicians. It remains unclear whether Ban might accompany Rice on any trip to the area. The Arab League reportedly suggested that the UN chief consider “a field trip to Gaza Strip” to “assess first-hand the humanitarian situation.” The Arab League had a closed-door meeting with Ban after the Security Council failed to pass a resolution on the humanitarian situation in the territory. --SPA www.spa.gov.sa/526240