Israel agrees to ease Gaza Strip blockade

JERUSALEM - Facing huge international pressure to overhaul its Gaza policy, Israel has agreed to ease its blockade of the Gaza Strip and to expand the inflow of materials for civilian projects under international supervision.

The Israel Cabinet’s Committee on Security, which met for the second time on Thursday, issued a statement agreeing to liberalize the system by which civilian goods enter Gaza; expand the inflow of materials for civilian projects that are under international supervision and continue existing security procedures to prevent the inflow of weapons and war materiel.

A statement issued after the meeting said the cabinet would decide on additional steps within a few days.

“Among the steps expected to be enacted are drawing up a list of goods that are prohibited because of security concerns - rather than the current situation in which only goods on a permitted list are allowed in - and developing a mechanism to ensure that dual-use material is allowed into Gaza only for earmarked projects under the auspices of the UN, the Quartet or a recognized international organization,” the Jerusalem Post reports.

Israel imposed the embargo in part to prevent the Hamas from receiving rockets and other weapons, in particular from Iran.he pressure to ease the blockade increased after a raid by Israeli soldiers on an aid flotilla heading towards the Gaza Strip on May 31 that led to the death of nine passengers. (ANI)