Gaza: Expect Nothing
Israeli military rebuffed a Palestinian request to allow new goods into the Gaza Strip which has been under a tight blockade for more than two years, a Palestinian official said Saturday (Sep. 19). "The Israeli officials told us that no new items would enter Gaza," said Ra'ed Fatouh, Gaza commercial crossings coordinator, in a statement sent to media. The new goods include cloths, shoes and sweets that Muslim people need to celebrate the Eid al-Fitr festival which starts Sunday marking the end of the Ramadan fasting month. Fatouh added that the Israeli officials, who met with the Palestinians coordinators at Erez crossing on Thursday, stressed that no more facilities or cargo shipments to Gaza would be taken. Fatouh said that only 32 types of products and commodities are allowed into Gaza these days, compared to more than 400 items in pre-siege period. During the meeting, the Israelis "have asked us not to expect any progress in the amount and sorts of the goods to Gaza as long as the situation (the soldier issue) remains the same," he added. (Reference for text: Xinhua. Photo: Via MonstersandCritics.com/file)
