Hundreds of trucks loaded with once-forbidden supplies rolled into the Gaza Strip this week, after Israel eased its controversial, 3-year-old blockade of the Hamas-ruled territory. The move came just three weeks after Israel’s botched raid of a Gaza-bound aid ship left nine dead, provoking international outrage. Israel is expected to allow all food and household goods to flow freely into Gaza, along with many construction and manufacturing materials—provided international organizations certify that none of them are used by Hamas. Israel says it will maintain its naval blockade to prevent arms smuggling.
The Obama administration, which pressured Israel to relax the blockade, called the move “a step in the right direction.” Palestinian leaders denounced it as a PR stunt and called on Israel to lift the blockade completely.
In an otherwise bleak landscape, Israel’s concession provides “a rare flash of optimism,” said Marc Lynch in ForeignPolicy.com. The blockade was intended to weaken Hamas, but all it did was punish Gazans and galvanize world opinion against Israel. Now, let’s hope all parties build on the momentum to “jump-start” the stalled peace talks and move toward a two-state future.
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“There are hopeful signs,” said the Los Angeles Times in an editorial, “but they must be followed by concrete actions on the ground.” The ball is now in Hamas’ court. If Hamas is serious about finding a peaceful solution, it must release captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit and, once and for all, denounce terrorism and recognize Israel’s right to exist.
Dream on, said Joel Mowbray in The Washington Times. The blockade was aimed at forcing Palestinians to choose between “supporting terrorism and pursuing prosperity,” and now they’ll be able “to enjoy both simultaneously.” Brace yourselves, said Barry Rubin in The Jerusalem Post. An emboldened Hamas will now seek to establish “a revolutionary, Iran-backed, genocidal and anti-Semitic statelet on the Mediterranean.”
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