RAMALLAH, July 5 (JMCC) - The Israeli government published Monday afternoon a list of items banned from entering the Gaza Strip, and a list of building materials that will be allowed to enter under certain conditions.

Israeli government spokesperson Ofir Gendelman said that the announcement meant that the blockade had been relaxed significantly, even though restrictions on movement over land and sea remain in place.

A Hamas official rejected the list, which is the first time that Israel has published the items to be restricted from entering Gaza.

We do not want to lift the blockade on chocolate and pasta and coriander, said Ghazi Hamad. We want complete freedom to import building materials that are restricted under the pretense that they are used to manufacture weapons and strengthen what they call terrorism.

WEAPONS AND CEMENT

JMCC.org obtained the list, which is divided into four parts. The first bans the entry into Gaza of all weapons and munitions.

The second section enumerates items banned from Gaza based on goods that are restricted from entering the occupied West Bank. These include certain chemical substances, fertilizers, hunting knives and binoculars, as well as anything used for aviation and drilling.

The third section of the list adds several additional items to the list of goods restricted in the West Bank that are to be banned from Gaza. These include certain fertilizers, water purification solutions, epoxies and adherents.

Finally, the last section lists building materials that are to be allowed into Gaza under the auspices of international organizations implementing Palestinian Authority-approved construction projects. These include cement, gravel, concrete, iron, steel, steel cables, asphalt, and wood thicker than 2 cm in diameter.

Hamad went on to say that the allowed items remained at the whims of the Israeli military. We are aware, he said, that the security situation will determine the criteria for entry. For example, if a rocket falls in Israel, then everything could change.

The issue of the Gaza blockade, Hamad continued, is not a matter of eating or drinking, it is a question of when the occupation of Gaza and the West Bank and Jerusalem will come to an end.