White House hails easing of Gaza blockade
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs called the easing of Israel's blockade on the Gaza Strip "a step in the right direction.
WASHINGTON:
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs on Thursday called the easing of Israel's blockade on the Gaza Strip "a step in the right direction."
"We welcome the principles that were announced by the Israeli government today," he told journalists. "They're a step in the right direction. We will continue to work in the coming days with our Israeli friends to continue to improve a humanitarian situation in Gaza that the president has said is unsustainable."
Earlier, the State Department offered similar remarks. "We welcome the general principles announced earlier today by the Israeli government," Mark Toner, a State Department spokesman, told reporters. "They reflect the type of changes we've been discussing with our Israeli friends," he said, adding that US envoy George Mitchell "will continue working on them in the coming days" while he remains in the region.
Israel's security cabinet took its decision in response to mounting calls to ease the four-year blockade of the impoverished Palestinian territory following a deadly May 31 raid on a flotilla of aid ships.
Under the plan, Israel would "liberalize the system by which civilian goods enter Gaza (and) expand the inflow of materials for civilian projects that are under international supervision," a brief government statement said.
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak however said Israel would maintain its naval blockade and inspect all goods entering by land.
Israel maintains that the blockade -- imposed when one of its soldiers was seized by Gaza militants in a deadly June 2006 raid and tightened a year later when Hamas took over -- is needed to contain the Islamist movement.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs on Thursday called the easing of Israel's blockade on the Gaza Strip "a step in the right direction."
"We welcome the principles that were announced by the Israeli government today," he told journalists. "They're a step in the right direction. We will continue to work in the coming days with our Israeli friends to continue to improve a humanitarian situation in Gaza that the president has said is unsustainable."
Earlier, the State Department offered similar remarks. "We welcome the general principles announced earlier today by the Israeli government," Mark Toner, a State Department spokesman, told reporters. "They reflect the type of changes we've been discussing with our Israeli friends," he said, adding that US envoy George Mitchell "will continue working on them in the coming days" while he remains in the region.
Israel's security cabinet took its decision in response to mounting calls to ease the four-year blockade of the impoverished Palestinian territory following a deadly May 31 raid on a flotilla of aid ships.
Under the plan, Israel would "liberalize the system by which civilian goods enter Gaza (and) expand the inflow of materials for civilian projects that are under international supervision," a brief government statement said.
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak however said Israel would maintain its naval blockade and inspect all goods entering by land.
Israel maintains that the blockade -- imposed when one of its soldiers was seized by Gaza militants in a deadly June 2006 raid and tightened a year later when Hamas took over -- is needed to contain the Islamist movement.