“We informed the Palestinian side yesterday that we are able to increase the amount of wares entering the Gaza Strip by more than 30 percent… We intend to enlarge the variety of goods to everything, except material that is likely to be used for terror operations,” Col Moshe Levi, head of the District Coordination and Liaison Office, told the media on 21 June.
Hummus, jam, biscuits, crisps, soft drinks, tinned fruit and razor blades are among the items expected to be allowed into Gaza. The Israelis insist this was decided before the 31 May flotilla incident.
Sources in Gaza told IRIN that prices are already dropping in local markets. However, dozens of trucks with various supplies taken off the flotilla are still in Ministry of Defence warehouses and at the Kerem Shalom crossing as the Hamas authorities in Gaza are refusing to let them enter.
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This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions