(AFP) Majeda El Batsh - Israel on Monday gave the go-ahead for the international community to import construction materials into Gaza, but only for projects approved by the Palestinian Authority and implemented and supervised by the international community. The Israeli government said in a statement that while the building materials "are liable to be used for Hamas military purposes (building bunkers, fortifying positions and digging tunnels), Israel will permit their entry into Gaza so as to facilitate construction projects." The U.S., EU and Britain welcomed the move. "This is an important step in implementing the new policy announced by Israel two weeks ago," said Tommy Vietor, a White House spokesman. EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton hailed the move as "another significant step forward in the review of its (Israel's) policy on Gaza."
2010-07-06 08:16:50Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive