Rights groups accuse Israel of ducking pledge to ease Gaza blockade
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
November 30, 2010 - 1:00am

Israel has only marginally eased its three-year-old blockade of the Gaza Strip, leaving business and construction largely frozen in the impoverished and war-damaged Palestinian territory, a report by several aid groups said Tuesday. The groups accused Israel of ducking promises to ease the blockade's effects on civilians, a pledge it made under pressure after a deadly Israeli commando raid in May on an international flotilla protesting the restrictions.

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Israel's eased blockade 'still crippling' Gaza
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC World News
by Jon Donnison - November 29, 2010 - 1:00am

That is the verdict of a new report by aid agencies and rights groups working inside the Palestinian territory. A ban on most exports from Gaza is "crippling" the economy, they say. The report, "Dashed Hopes: Continuation of the Gaza Blockade", was compiled by 21 different groups, including Oxfam, Amnesty and Save the Children. "Only a fraction of the aid needed has made it to the civilians trapped in Gaza by the blockade," said Jeremy Hobbs, Director of Oxfam International.

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Blair: Israel must do more to ease Gaza blockade
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Statesman
by Karin Laub - November 28, 2010 - 1:00am

RAMALLAH, WEST BANK — Israel needs to do more to ease its blockade of Gaza and allow exports from the Hamas-ruled territory, international Mideast envoy Tony Blair said in an interview Sunday, after meeting with the Israeli prime minister. The former British prime minister told the Associated Press that he hopes to see progress soon, noting that exports are crucial for reviving Gaza's battered economy. "There has been significant change in Gaza, but not nearly as much as we need," he said.

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First shipment of Gaza roses, berries leaves to Europe
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
November 28, 2010 - 1:00am

GAZA, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- Two trucks, carrying flowers and strawberries, left the Gaza Strip Sunday towards Netherlands as the first limited export from the besieged territory, an official said. The trucks, with their load of 20,000 roses and five tons of strawberries, left through Kerem Shalom crossing in southeast Gaza. Mahmoud Khalil, a representative of farmers, said the agricultural products would be sold in the European markets, mainly in Holland. Israel has barred export since 2007, but it is now allowing the seasonal export of Gaza's flora for the second time since then.

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Israel allows Gaza flowers, strawberries export
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
November 25, 2010 - 1:00am

Palestinian farmers in the Gaza Strip could ship flowers and strawberries to Europe though Israel starting from Sunday, Palestinian officials said Thursday. Gazans would be allowed to export their produce, by far only flowers and strawberries, through a commercial crossing between the Hamas-controlled territory and Israel, said Mahmoud Khalil, a representative of the farmers. It is the second year that Israel allows Gaza flowers and strawberries to be sold overseas since it imposed a nearly total blockade on Gaza in June 2007.

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How one man turned Israel's Gaza blockade into a business opportunity
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor
by Liam Stack - November 17, 2010 - 1:00am

Cairo — At the end of an alley in Gaza City’s Tofah neighborhood, an industrial ghost town full of quiet factories and unused warehouses, sits the Ramlawy Plastics Company. The factory once hummed with the activity of 45 workers turning raw Israeli plastics into bags, storage containers, bottles, and pipes. Manager Ahmed Ramlawy says that in those days they made fat profit margins of 20 percent.

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UN: No change in Gaza despite easing of Israel blockade
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News
by Jon Donnison - November 10, 2010 - 1:00am

In June Israel said it would lift some of its restrictions on Gaza to allow in more food and consumer goods. The move followed international pressure after the deaths of nine Turkish activists aboard a flotilla of ships trying to break the blockade. The head of UN operations in Gaza said few people had noticed any difference. "There's been no material change for the people on the ground here in terms of their status, the aid dependency, the absence of any recovery or reconstruction, no economy," the UN's John Ging told the BBC.

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How Israel's easing of Gaza blockade has hurt Gaza business
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor
by Kristen Chick - (Opinion) November 9, 2010 - 1:00am

Gaza City, Gaza — Israel's move to ease the three-year blockade on the Gaza Strip has put consumer products that were long absent back on Gazan shelves and is cited as one of the reasons the territory’s economy grew rapidly this year. But the June move, which has allowed Israeli goods to start flowing into Gaza, is actually hurting Gaza businesses. By allowing Israeli goods to flood the coastal enclave, while continuing to restrict Gazan manufacturers by keeping them from importing raw materials and exporting goods, the policy tilts the playing field.

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Hard times drive Gazans into perilous 'buffer zone'
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC World News
by Jon Donnison - November 9, 2010 - 1:00am

Basam and Mustapha Adwan make for a sorry sight. In their small, cramped house in northern Gaza, which they share with 12 other family members, 24-year-old Basam sits in a wheelchair. His younger brother Mustapha sits on the floor, his crutches by his side. Both men have heavily bandaged right feet. They say they were shot by Israeli soldiers while working close to the border. "Normally they give a warning shot," says Basam, who says he was shot a month ago. "But this time there was no warning. The bullet went right through my foot." He winces as he remembers the pain. Trade flourishing

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Gaza children go to work to help families
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
November 3, 2010 - 12:00am

Standing under the sun in a dusty street, Ahmed Al-Massri looks older than 13, his age. As he sees a car parking in Gaza City's upper neighborhood, he rushes to offer cleaning its windows. A Palestinian woman, looking wealthy, nodded and handed over the young boy some tips, asking him to go home instead of " wandering in the streets." The boy put the money in his tiny pocket, and thanked the lady, telling her that he only wanted "to work to earn my living, not to beg."

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