Know More About Palestine



Thursday June 17, 2010 10:55 AM (EST+7)
Israel says easing Gaza blockade


Read more: blockade, Gaza Strip, closure, checkpoints, Israeli military

JERUSALEM, June 17 (Reuters) - Israel's security cabinet decided on Thursday to ease a Gaza land blockade following an international outcry over a deadly raid on an aid flotilla.

It was agreed to liberalize the system by which civilian goods enter Gaza (and) expand the inflow of materials for civilian projects that are under international supervision, an official statement said, without specifying any product list.

The announcement appeared to indicate that Israel would allow international organizations, such as the United Nations, to import previously banned building materials, vital to reconstruction after the December 2008-January 2009 Gaza war.

The security cabinet, which began its discussions on Wednesday on easing the embargo, noted that existing security procedures to prevent the inflow of weapons and war materiel would continue.

The announcement made no mention of any lifting of Israel's sea blockade of the enclave, run by Hamas Islamists.

Israel faced mounting international calls to ease or lift its Gaza embargo following the killing by Israeli commandos of nine pro-Palestinian Turkish activists during the interception at sea of an an aid convoy on May 31.

Israeli leaders said the troops acted in self-defense after being swarmed by activists who attacked them, and that the blockade is necessary to prevent arms smuggling to Hamas.

Israel imposed the blockade soon after Hamas, which has rejected Western calls to recognise its right to exist, won a Palestinian legislative election in 2006. Restrictions were tightened after Hamas seized power in Gaza the following year. (Writing by Jeffrey Heller, Editing by Ori Lewis)
WHAT'S NEW


BACKGROUND


POLLS


WAYS TO GET JMCC


CONTACT US


Subscribe

Al-Madaris St. (same building as
MBC and al-Arabiya studios)
First Floor, Al-Bireh
PO Box 4045, Ramallah
PO Box 25047, Jerusalem 97300
Phone: ++972-2-297-6555
Fax: ++972-2-297-6555
Log in to My JMCC
Email
Password
 or Sign Up
Forgot your password?Close
 My JMCC
Front Page
My Comments Photo of the Day
Calendar Hot Spot(for journalists)
Audio of the Day Video of the Day
Most Popular Historical Timeline
Noticeboard Blogs
My Tags Help Desk
  
User Info
First Name
Last Name
Email
My Tags 
I am a
After signing up,you will receive
an automatically
generated password in your
email.
Close
Recover Password
Submit Your Email
 or Sign Up
Close