UN: No 'material change' in Gaza since blockade ease
"Gazans see no change in status, aid dependency," UN's John Ging tells BBC; "move no more than political easing of pressure on Israel."
By JPOST.COM STAFFgaza blockade gas AP(photo credit: AP)The UN has claimed that the people of Gaza have not witnessed any "material change" since Israel announced that it had eased the blockade of consumer goods into the Strip, the BBC reported Thursday.In June Israel announced that restrictions on Gaza regarding certain food and consumer goods would be lifted.RELATED:Rattling the Cage: Dodo birds vs. HamasTurkey: Fully lift Gaza blockadeGerman FM says Gaza blockade 'strengthens extremists'"There's been no material change for the people on the ground here in terms of their status, the aid dependency, the absence of any recovery or reconstruction, no economy," the UN's John Ging explained to the BBC."The easing, at it was described, has been nothing more than a political easing of the pressure on Israel and Egypt," Ging explained.The UN official went on to accuse Israel of ignoring international community demands to lift the blockade.In reaction to Ging's comments, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said the UN was missing the point.Yigal Palmor told the BBC that "the UN refuses to talk about the elephant in the room.""Why are there any problems in exporting and sometimes importing goods into Gaza? Why is the border blockaded? Because the territory has been overtaken by a declared terror movement," Palmor continued.
