Israeli officials say they will authorize a one-time shipment of hundreds of tones of cement into the embargoed Gaza Strip.
An Israeli official said the 30,000 tones of cement was part of Israel’s “ongoing policy to support Gaza's civilian population and to make sure humanitarian needs are met.” Israeli officials said the cement deliveries, which would be tracked to prevent "unauthorized diversions," would likely occur within the next few weeks.
Israel has restricted the trade of several items into the Gaza Strip since June 2007 when Hamas ousted Fatah and took full control of the Strip. Following the Gaza war earlier this year, Israel expanded its embargo to include cement, which Israel feared would be used by Hamas for operations.
The announcement coincided with the arrival US National Security Advisor James Jones’ meeting with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu.
