Russia hopes Israel will lift blockade on Gaza Strip
08/04/201014:56
MOSCOW, April 8 (RIA Novosti) - Russia hopes that Israel's decision to allow consumer goods to be transported to the Gaza Strip will finally lead to the lifting of the blockade in the region, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman said.
Israel allowed the transport of clothes and shoes to the impoverished Hamas-controlled enclave of Gaza on Sunday, for the first time in almost three years.
The Gaza Strip has been subject to an almost continuous Israeli blockade since the radical Islamic group Hamas took control of the enclave in the summer of 2007, ousting President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement in a bloody five-day war.
Since the start of the blockade, most of Gaza's consumer goods have been smuggled through tunnels from Egypt
Egypt has now nearly finished constructing an underground steel wall on its border with Gaza to stop the smugglers.
"We would like to hope that this decision will lead to more important steps such as the opening of checkpoints for the residents of the Gaza Strip both on the border with Egypt and Israel," Andrei Nesterenko said.
The Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman added that the "steps" should also include permission for importing building materials, consumer goods and medical supplies.
Israel bans transportation of cement and steel to Gaza because it fears that Hamas could use these materials for military purposes. However, critics say most of the banned goods have no military value.
Nesterenko said Russia will continue providing humanitarian aid to Palestinians. In late March, Russia's Emergencies Ministry delivered around 10,000 tons of flour to the Palestinian National Authority.
"Russia continues to call for improvements in the social and economic situation on the Gaza Strip. We think that this will only be achieved when the blockade of the Palestinian enclave is lifted," Nesterenko said.
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