A senior envoy to the Mideast has called for the reopening of Gaza's borders and criticised Israel for behaving as if the withdrawal from the Gaza Strip never happened.
Mr James Wolfensohn, a special envoy working on behalf of the United States and other foreign mediators, warned that without dramatic progress soon, a rare chance to revive Gaza's shattered economy - and the peace process - would be lost.
Israel closed the Rafah crossing into Egypt, Gaza's main link to the outside world, shortly before it withdrew from Gaza.
It also has severely restricted the passage of Palestinian workers and goods in and out of Israel, the main Palestinian export market, since an earlier wave of rocket attacks right after the pullout.
Israeli officials claim the measures are solely because of security considerations.
In a letter to the UN secretary general and other international mediators yesterday, Mr Wolfensohn acknowledged such concerns but accused Israel of unnecessary delays in restoring movement across the borders.
He said the stalling is preventing him from moving on to larger reconstruction efforts, such as tourism, agriculture and industrial projects.
"The government of Israel, with its important security concerns, is loath to relinquish control, almost acting as though there has been no withdrawal, delaying making difficult decisions and preferring to take difficult matters back into slow-moving subcommittees," Mr Wolfensohn wrote.
He said the differences could be quickly resolved, and expressed disappointment he failed to reach a solution during a trip to the region earlier this month.