Hamas, the Islamist group that rules the Gaza Strip, said the territory needs cement – banned by Israel and essential for reconstruction after a December 2008-January 2009 war – not soft drinks. “We are looking for a true, real lifting of the blockade … the import of raw materials for industry and construction materials for the reconstruction of Gaza,” said Ziyad Al-Zaza, economic and trade minister in the Hamas government. Israel’s ban on cement imports into the territory, critics say, has limited efforts to rebuild homes and infrastructure destroyed or damaged in a three-week war it launched in December 2008.
GAZA NEEDS CEMENT, NOT DRINKS
GAZA NEEDS CEMENT, NOT DRINKS
