Israel yesterday dismissed international calls for a full reopening of border crossings with the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, leaving a shaky ceasefire and post-war reconstruction in doubt.
While a UN official praised Israel's "goodwill" for letting 120 truckloads per day of food and medicine into Gaza, other diplomats decried restrictions on steel and cement imports needed to make repairs after Israel's 22-day offensive.
Israel also blocked the Western-backed Palestinian Authority yesterday from sending cash to Gaza, despite international warnings that President Mahmoud Abbas's standing was at stake.
"They are afraid it will go to Hamas," a senior Western diplomat said of the cash. Barring a swift change in Israeli policy, the diplomat said the emergency response and long-term reconstruction were "bound to fail".
US officials voiced support, under certain conditions, for opening the crossings more fully, but they set no timetable.
John Ging, who heads the operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency in the Gaza Strip, said the end-result of Israel's war, which killed 1,300 Palestinians and injured more than 5,000 others, was "more extremists". Thirteen Israelis were killed: 10 soldiers and three civilians hit by Hamas rocket fire.
Hamas has conditioned abiding by the ceasefire, which took effect on Sunday, on Israel lifting its crippling blockade.
But a top adviser to Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert appeared to rule that out. "If opening the passages will strengthen Hamas, we won't do it," he said. Israel believes the restrictions at the crossings will give it leverage in Egyptian-mediated negotiations with Hamas to free Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier captured in 2006.
But Israel finds itself under increasing pressure to do more to ease hardships for Gaza's 1.5 million residents.
US president Barack Obama said on Thursday Gaza's border crossings should be reopened to both humanitarian and commercial goods under a "monitoring regime" that includes Mr Abbas's Palestinian Authority.
Mr Obama plans to dispatch his Middle East envoy, George Mitchell, to the region soon to try to shore up the ceasefire, which Israel declared after Washington and European powers promised to help stop Hamas smuggling in weapons.
France said it was sending a frigate to patrol international waters off Gaza and help prevent arms coming in by sea.
Western diplomats said a humanitarian aid coordination conference for Gaza would be held next month in Egypt but would not deal with long-term reconstruction.