Israel Imposes Nine-Day Blockade on West Bank

Israel imposes a 9-day full blockade of the occupied West Bank starting Sunday night, ostensibly as a security measure for the Jewish Passover festival.

The lockdown, on the orders of the Israeli War Minister Ehud Barak, will prevent thousands of Palestinian workers based in the West Bank from reaching their places of work.

The closure will be lifted only after another security assessment following the Passover holiday, the Israeli army said in a statement on Sunday.'

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Ban on Imports for Reconstruction in Gaza, Including Paper, Under Claim of Weapons Manufacturing

The document is a dead letter, says Olyyah and hundreds of home owners, due to the blockade imposed by the Israeli government which prevents the import of construction materials into the Gaza Strip.
The Israelis claim that these materials, which include paper and school books, could be used for the manufacture of explosives and weapons.

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Israeli Navy Fires at Aid Ship Destined For Gaza

The ship carrying 60 tons of medicine, food, toys and books, was intercepted as it sailed towards Gaza from Cyprus on Wednesday afternoon, said the Lebanese aid coordinator, Maan Bashur. "The Brotherhood Ship was fired on by an Israeli military boat 32 kilometers off the coast of Gaza and they were asked to divert course," said Bashour, adding that it remains in the water near the coast of Gaza, Haaretz reported.

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Israel Denies Gaza Access to Clean Water

The French Foreign Ministry said Friday that Tel Aviv had blocked the entry of a much-needed water purification station into Gaza and had forced its repatriation.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Eric Chevallier said the move has sparked an outcry in the Elysée, prompting it to summon the Israeli ambassador to Paris to explain why the system was denied access.

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Maybe the Iranian President was right when he didn't say that Israel should be wiiped off the face of the earth. They are a canker that needs to be cut out!

Israeli Embargo Means Gaza Unable to Rebuild

WHOLE STREETS lie in ruins, many thousands of Palestinians are homeless after weeks of Israeli bombing and foreign aid cash is piling up. As a builder in the Gaza Strip, this should be Anwar al-Sahabani’s big moment.

Instead, he sits at home, angry and sad, not just at the wounds he suffered on the first day of bombardment, but with frustration at being denied the basic supplies he needs to start rebuilding.

Israel will not let in cement, steel pipes and other materials it says its Hamas enemies might use to make war.

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Israeli War Criminals Maintain Blockade of Gaza

Israel has all but ruled out fully reopening border crossings with the Gaza Strip as long as Hamas rules the enclave or stands to benefit from easing of the restrictions, a top adviser to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said.

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Israel Denies Medical Teams, Food Supplies Entry to Gaza

Israel has denied Human Rights Watch and aid agencies entry to the Gaza Strip as Palestinians grapple with a shortage of vital supplies.Israeli officials on Wednesday refused to allow prominent European medical teams and Human Rights Watch representatives to cross the border into the beleaguered strip.

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Gaza Families Eat Grass As Israel Locks Border

AS a convoy of blue-and-white United Nations trucks loaded with food waited last night for Israeli permission to enter Gaza, Jindiya Abu Amra and her 12-year-old daughter went scrounging for the wild grass their family now lives on.

“We had one meal today - khobbeizeh,” said Abu Amra, 43, showing the leaves of a plant that grows along the streets of Gaza. “Every day, I wake up and start looking for wood and plastic to burn for fuel and I beg. When I find nothing, we eat this grass.”

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