| Submit your comments on this article |
| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Israel eases Gaza embargo, allows snack food in |
| 2010-06-10 |
| [Al Arabiya Latest] Israel is easing its Gaza embargo to allow snack food and beverages into the Palestinian enclave, Palestinian officials said on Wednesday, following an international outcry over Israel's raid on an aid flotilla. An Israeli government official said the decision, announced hours before U.S. President Barack Obama was to host Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Washington, was unrelated to Israel's May 31 takeover of the convoy that challenged its Gaza blockade. The talks between Obama and Abbas are expected to focus on ways to ease the embargo, which has drawn mounting international criticism since Israeli commandos, who met violent resistance on a Turkish-flagged ship, killed nine pro-Palestinian activists. The Palestinian officials, based in the West Bank, said that as of next week, Israel will allow a wider variety of food, such as potato crisps, biscuits, canned fruit and packaged humus, as well as soft drinks and juice, into the Gaza Strip. "They will send the first course. We are waiting for the main course," Palestinian Economy Minister Hassan Abu Libdeh said in Ramallah. "We are waiting for this unjust siege to end." Israel says its blockade of Gaza is necessary to choke off weapons supplies to Hamas Islamists who run the enclave and are opposed to Abbas's peace efforts with the Jewish state. The United Nations says the Israeli blockade has caused a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, an allegation Israel denies. Raed Fattouh, head of a West Bank-based Palestinian government committee that coordinates entry of goods into the Gaza Strip from Israel, said it was unclear whether Hamas would let the Israeli-made drinks and snack food in. A Palestinian merchant, who spoke to Reuters in the Gaza Strip on condition of anonymity, said Hamas officials ordered businessmen in the enclave not to import most of the items from Israel. A variety of goods come into the Gaza Strip from neighboring Egypt via smuggling tunnels. There was no immediate comment from Hamas. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #4 Allan's Snackbar!!!!!! |
| Posted by: Canuckistan sniper 2010-06-10 14:07 |
| #3 Let them eat Health Food! |
| Posted by: bigjim-CA 2010-06-10 12:22 |
| #2 See? See? The Jooos are trying to kill the Gazans with obesity and poor nutrition! They're conspiring with Big Junk Food! |
| Posted by: Mitch H. 2010-06-10 08:08 |
| #1 You guys can have all the Pork Rinds you want! |
| Posted by: gorb 2010-06-10 00:50 |