In a reversal of policy forced by intense international pressure, Israel has significantly eased its rules for determining what is or is not allowed to enter the Gaza Strip. Instead of maintaining list of allowed products, the new policy is based upon guidelines that enumerate what is not permitted to enter – specifically, “dual-use” items such as rock drills, fireworks, ball bearings and fertilizers. The most noticeable aspect of the new policy is that certain building materials banned until now will be permitted entry if used in conjunction with a project approved by the Palestinian Authority and the construction is carried out under international supervision in order to ensure that the materials are not used by Hamas in a military context. The revisions to Israeli policy, which come on the eve of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s visit to the White House, were immediately praised by the United States, European leaders. The E.U. Foreign Affairs chief Catherine Ashton, a vocal critic of Israel, issued a statement in which she said, “Israel’s new policy should improve the lives of the ordinary people of Gaza while addressing the legitimate security concerns of Israel,” while Quartet envoy Tony Blair predicted “dramatic” influence on the lives of Gazans. Nevertheless, Hamas officials dismissed the Israeli policy change as “worthless.”
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