THE SENIOR UN official in Gaza, John Ging, has said there has been “no material change” for the population of Gaza despite Israel easing restrictions in the summer.
Mr Ging, the Gaza director of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), told the BBC that nothing had changed for people on the ground “in terms of their status, the aid dependency, the absence of any recovery or reconstruction, [and] no economy”.
He said the easing of the Israeli blockade “has been nothing more than a political easing of the pressure on Israel and Egypt”.
The Israeli decision to soften its strict blockade on Gaza in June followed a wave of international condemnation after nine Turkish activists were killed in clashes with Israeli commandos who intercepted an aid flotilla in the Mediterranean making its way to Gaza.
Christian Berger, the EU’s representative to the West Bank, Gaza and UNRWA, said last month that since Israel eased the siege, many more consumer goods were now available in Gaza stores, but the problem was the residents could not afford to buy them.
He called on Israel to allow exports from Gaza and to permit the import of construction materials for small businesses.
He warned that without a significant improvement in the local economy people would not be able to buy the goods Israel now permits to enter the strip.
Yigal Palmor, a spokesman for Israel’s foreign ministry, blamed Hamas for the economic hardships faced by Gazans.
“Why is the border blockaded? Because the territory has been overtaken by a declared terror movement,” he said.
According to the Israeli army, 4,356 trucks carrying more than 93,000 tons of food, fuel and other humanitarian aid passed from Israel into Gaza last month.
In addition, 223 trucks carrying cement, iron and other building materials have crossed the border for work on a number of humanitarian projects in co-ordination with international aid organisations.
In a separate development, Hamas and Fatah representatives ended talks in the Syrian capital Damascus without narrowing gaps on security issues.
The reconciliation talks, the second since September, ended without agreement on a date for further discussions.
Hamas accused the Fatah-controlled Palestinian Authority security forces who control the West Bank of co-operating with Israel and the US against Hamas activists.
Hamas gunmen ousted Fatah from power in Gaza during clashes during 2007.