THE STUNT OF SHIPMENTS TO GAZA

It is reported that road shipments of goods to the Gaza Strip are under way following Israel’s decision to change the conditions of its blockade of the Palestinian territory. Israel has said it will allow the import of “civilian” goods, but will continue to restrict items they say could be used to build weapons, including cement and steel rods. Previously, only products mentioned on lists drawn up by Israel were allowed into the territory. The list of permitted items was never published and would change weekly. However, Ahmed Yousef, the Hamas deputy foreign minister in Gaza, has dismissed Israel’s new conditions as a public-relations stunt and said it would not greatly improve conditions in Gaza. “This is just another way for Israel to deceive the world,” he said.