Expectations that Israel would lift its blockade of Gaza were raised amid international outrage over the bloody interception of the “Freedom Flotilla” that set out to deliver aid to the Palestinian coastal territory. The reality so far looks rather different.
Thursday’s announcement by the Israeli national security council does not give enough detail to gauge whether significant change is coming. Liberalization of the system under which civilian goods enter Gaza sounds good: the lifting of restrictions on all food items, toys, stationery, kitchen utensils, mattresses and towels is an improvement for 1.5 million people still living in siege conditions that are relieved only by humanitarian aid and smuggling goods through tunnels from Egypt.
Potentially more significant is the pledge to “expand the inflow of materials for civilian projects that are under international supervision.” But if, as the small print suggests, this means only the UN, the scope will inevitably be limited.
PHOTO: AFP
Both these ideas have been promoted by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, representative of the Quartet — the UN, US, EU and Russia — as has the idea that EU monitors again be stationed at crossing points between Israel and Gaza.
NO TIMELINE
The fact that that was not mentioned suggests Israel remains reluctant to entrust issues connected to its security to others. Nor was anything said about a role for the Palestinian Authority.
The announcement made no mention either of a timeline or monitoring by the international community, nor of permitting the trade and exports that are crucial for rebuilding a shattered economy.
Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist movement that controls Gaza, predictably rejected the announced changes as insufficient.
“What is needed is a complete lifting of the blockade,” said spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri. “Goods and people must be free to enter and leave. Gaza especially needs construction material, which must be allowed to come in without restrictions.”
Gisha, an Israeli group, called the move “cosmetic.” Oxfam described it as a “baby step.” The EU foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, urged Israel to ensure that “many, many more goods can get in to Gaza” but diplomats say privately that they fear weeks or even months of detailed negotiations lie ahead.
DE FACTO CEASEFIRE
The political issue here is that the US and the EU all now insist they want to end an “unacceptable and unsustainable” blockade but still share Israel’s goal of seeking to weaken Hamas, which has more or less maintained a de facto ceasefire since last year’s war, but still holds the captured Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit.
Refinements of import controls could help stave off charges of a humanitarian crisis in Gaza and weaken international condemnation of Israel’s policy as “collective punishment.” But that will not be enough to constitute the breakthrough many had hoped to see.
Israel’s naval blockade remains in force and so do plans, in Europe, Lebanon and elsewhere, for sending more aid ships to challenge it, some as early as next week.
READINESS: According to a survey of 2,000 people, 86 percent of Swedes believe the country is worth defending in the event of a military attack Swedes are stocking up on food items in case of war, as more conflict in Europe no longer feels like a distant possibility, and authorities encourage measures to boost readiness. At a civil preparedness fair in southwest Stockholm, 71-year-old Sirkka Petrykowska said that she is taking the prospect of hostilities seriously and preparing as much as she can. “I have bought a camping stove. I have taken a course on preservation in an old-fashioned way, where you can preserve vegetables, meat and fruit that lasts for 30 years without a refrigerator,” Petrykowska said. “I’ve set aside blankets for warmth, I
FRUSTRATIONS: One in seven youths in China and Indonesia are unemployed, and many in the region are stuck in low-productivity jobs, the World Bank said Young people across Asia are struggling to find good jobs, with many stuck in low-productivity work that the World Bank said could strain social stability as frustrations fuel a global wave of youth-led protests. The bank highlighted a persistent gap between younger and more experienced workers across several Asian economies in a regional economic update released yesterday, noting that one in seven young people in China and Indonesia are unemployed. The share of people now vulnerable to falling into poverty is now larger than the middle class in most countries, it said. “The employment rate is generally high, but the young struggle to
ENERGY SHIFT: A report by Ember suggests it is possible for the world to wean off polluting sources of power, such as coal and gas, even as demand for electricity surges Worldwide solar and wind power generation has outpaced electricity demand this year, and for the first time on record, renewable energies combined generated more power than coal, a new analysis said. Global solar generation grew by a record 31 percent in the first half of the year, while wind generation grew 7.7 percent, according to the report by the energy think tank Ember, which was released after midnight yesterday. Solar and wind generation combined grew by more than 400 terawatt hours, which was more than the increase in overall global demand during the same period, it said. The findings suggest it is
‘ARMED CONFLICT’: At least 21 people have died in such US attacks, while experts say the summary killings are illegal even if they target confirmed narcotics traffickers US forces on Friday carried out a strike on an alleged drug-smuggling boat off the coast of Venezuela, killing four people, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said. The latest strike, which Hegseth announced in a post on X, brings the number of such US attacks to at least four, leaving at least 21 people dead. An accompanying video shared by Hegseth showed a boat speeding across the waves before being engulfed in smoke and flames. “Four male narco-terrorists aboard the vessel were killed,” the Pentagon chief wrote. He said the strike “was conducted in international waters just off the
RSS