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Purveyor

(29,876 posts)
Mon Dec 31, 2012, 02:24 PM Dec 2012

With Blockade Eased, Building Materials Enter Gaza

Thousands of tons of building materials, such as cement and steel, began crossing into the Gaza Strip on Saturday, Egyptian and Palestinian officials said, as Israel eased its five-year-old blockade on the Hamas-ruled territory.

Israel agreed to ease the blockade on Gaza under terms of a cease-fire that ended eight days of fierce fighting with Hamas last month, reports CBS News correspondent Robert Berger.

Trucks carrying gravel for private construction entered Gaza from Israel for the first time since Hamas seized control of the Palestinian territory.

Israel says 300 truckloads of goods are now entering Gaza each day.

The director of Gaza's border authority, Maher Abu Sabha, confirmed to The Associated Press that Qatar is paying for the raw materials that were bought in Egypt, to be transported through the Rafah border crossing.

MORE...

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57561274/with-blockade-eased-building-materials-enter-gaza/

10 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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With Blockade Eased, Building Materials Enter Gaza (Original Post) Purveyor Dec 2012 OP
Isreal will need the materials for the new settlements. julian09 Dec 2012 #1
Beat me to it. nt bunnies Dec 2012 #2
Except there are no settlements in Gaza oberliner Dec 2012 #4
Bet you never knew there's no Israeli settlements in Gaza King_David Dec 2012 #3
I'm confused ... holdencaufield Dec 2012 #5
Who said it was "impossible"? Scootaloo Dec 2012 #6
Maybe they've run out of buildings to flatten? (nt) Recursion Jan 2013 #7
What can Israel do , ever, to get a little encouragement ? King_David Jan 2013 #8
Does Israel care what I think? Recursion Jan 2013 #9
Very True..well said. King_David Jan 2013 #10
 

holdencaufield

(2,927 posts)
5. I'm confused ...
Mon Dec 31, 2012, 09:37 PM
Dec 2012

... many on this board have argued that it is impossible to bring materials through the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt because it was unsuitable to trucks ... has something changed?

 

Scootaloo

(25,699 posts)
6. Who said it was "impossible"?
Mon Dec 31, 2012, 11:00 PM
Dec 2012

Of course it's not impossible... but the Rafah crossing isn't very suited for high-volume traffic;
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aDCvQA2s0xg/S8nPJosItLI/AAAAAAAAAS0/AxZDtXWvUxM/s1600/Rafah+border+crossing,+Egyptian+side+-+the+%27prohibited%27+gate.jpg

There are two ports; one entrance, one egress, both are single-lane. Of course you can get trucks in there... in single-file. Which would effectively close the crossing to non-pedestrian traffic. Plus each has to undergo the proper inspections and such...

"Impossible" is hyperbolic, but shipment through the Rafah crossing has clear logistics issues; Perhaps a joint Egyptian / Palestinian venture would be to add two additional shipping-specific ports and expand the roads in either direction as necessary.

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