World

Netanyahu considers easing Gaza blockade

Afp June 04, 2010

JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could ease the blockade imposed on Gaza following international criticism of the deadly raid on an aid flotilla, Israeli media reported on Thursday.

The prime minister could allow merchant ships to carry goods to the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip but only after an inspection, public television said. The private Channel 10 television said meanwhile that the prime minister could seek international help to inspect shipments heading for Gaza, which has been under embargo since Hamas violently seized the territory in 2007.

The reports said Netanyahu hopes this would ensure that no arms reach Gaza and that it would help deflect international criticism following Monday's deadly raid that killed nine foreign aid activists.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon demanded Wednesday that Israel lift the blockade immediately in the wake of the raid. Ban said the crippling Israeli siege of the impoverished Palestinian coastal enclave was "counter-productive, unsustainable and wrong." In recent months, Ban has consistently urged Israel to lift the blockade and allow the United Nations and other humanitarian relief supplies into Gaza.

"If this had been done, this tragedy would have been avoided," he noted. The diplomatic Quartet seeking to bring about Middle East peace (the European Union, Russia, the United Nations and the United States) has stressed the need "to fundamentally improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza," according to Ban.

Netanyahu on Wednesday defended the Gaza blockade, insisting that it was key in preventing weapons from reaching the Palestinian territory, where the Islamist rulers use tunnels on the Egyptian border to smuggle in weapons. "Hamas continues to arm itself and Iran continues to transfer weapons to Hamas," the premier said.

The Jewish state withdrew from Gaza in 2005, but maintained control of all the crossings, with the exception of the Rafah border crossing, which is now policed by Egypt.

Since 2007, Gaza's economy has been largely sustained by international aid and the smuggling of goods through a vast network of tunnels from Egypt.

COMMENTS (1)

Umar Akram | 13 years ago | Reply I strongly believe this is just another political gimmick to ease the international pressure on Israel,instead they will probably be little change in Israel's stance. i believe the Muslim community should remain united and pressurize Israel diplomatically in every way to help oor brothers in Palestine. Nothing can be said for Ban Ki-moon and the United Nations, they both have proved sitting ducks and a complete failure as we can clearly see how it is really biased that Iran is being chased and sanctions imposed while Israel is free to do what ever it wants may i remind nothing has happened about last years Gaza War.

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