By Xinhua,
Gaza : Gazans’ dreams of better life start to fade 12 days after an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militant groups led by Hamas took hold in Gaza Strip.
“Nothing has changed, we did not see cement and construction materials entering Gaza… we don’t only want the Israeli fruits to come in,” said Rami Ghaben, 42, who is jobless.
Rami, who used to be a construction worker in Israel years ago, said what Israel allowed into Gaza before the ceasefire and what it allowed in over the past 12 days “did not change anything and was still limited to the very basic humanitarian needs.”
The ceasefire, which calls on Israel to put an end to military offensive into Gaza and ease a blockade on Gaza in exchange for Palestinian stopping rocket attacks on southern Israel, succeeded in restoring sort of calmness but the commercial crossings into Gaza remain closed.
A rocket fired by unknown Palestinian militants into Israel on Monday put back an Israeli decision to reopen the crossing points into Gaza, the third such incident that turns the ceasefire away from its course. Since the truce went into effect on June 19, the crossings have been closed for five days because of continuing rocket and mortar attacks.
Since January 2006 when Hamas scored a surprising victory in the Palestinian legislative elections, Israel imposed a siege on the Palestinian territories, mainly on Gaza Strip.
In mid-June last year, after Hamas routed security forces loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas and seized Gaza Strip, Israel tightened the siege against the coastal strip by closing all Gaza crossings and only allowing fuels and basic food supplies into the enclave.
Maher Hassanien, a dealer who imports gravel and stones for constructions, got any shipments since Israel imposed the economic sanction on Gaza in June last year.
Maher, 45-year-old, said he “did not feel any change” following the truce under which Israel had committed to allow in larger shipments of some supplies.
When he contacted his Israeli counterparts, they explained they will not send him the materials “because the issue is linked with the captive soldier Gilad Shalit.”
Israel said a full lifting of the Gaza siege will only occur when Hamas releases Shalit who has been held hostage for more thantwo years. Hamas insists that Shalit will be released as part of a prisoner exchange.
Meanwhile, queues of cars and people still snake in front of gas stations for diesel and cooking gas which Israel reduces.
The Palestinian Petroleum Agency said what Israel allows into Gaza serves only 30 percent of the strip’s needs.
The Hamas-run strip, home to nearly 1.5 million residents, heavily depends on outside aid inflow of almost everything, from basic foodstuffs to medicine.
Azmi, a taxi driver who has 11 children, said he gets coupons from the Hamas-controlled transportation ministry to tank up his car with diesel. “The 20-liter coupon is not enough so I buy more diesel from the black market with higher prices.”
Everyday, Azmi waits for hours in front of gas stations and many times petrol runs out before his turn comes. “I hope the fuel will be back again to its regular levels to end this oppression we face.”
Abu Mohammed, another driver, said “life in Gaza became reduced, starting from the diesel coupon to the cooking gas cylinder which, when we are lucky, get it half filled.”
Commenting on the Israeli decision not to open the crossings on Tuesday, Hamas said Israel did not comply with its obligations under the ceasefire deal.
“The sorts of goods that enter are not as what have been agreed upon in Cairo,” said Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoom. “The basic materials and fuel are very reduced.”
He said the closure violates the most important provision of the deal, revealing that the factions “will assess their stances if the crossings did not open.”