Israel will not ease Gaza blockade

The Palestinian resistance movement of Hamas has rejected a report that Israel seeks to ease its three-year-long blockade of the Gaza Strip.

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said Monday that the report stemmed from Israel’s desire to reduce international pressure over its deadly attack on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla aid convoy.

The report surfaced after an EU diplomat said that Israel was considering easing the entry of goods into the coastal region.

The enclave has been under crippling blockade since 2007 and 1.5 million people are in dire need of basic supplies and necessities.

The Freedom Flotilla was carrying thousands of tons of supplies for the Gazans when it came under attack by Israeli commandos, who killed at least 20 activists in international waters.

The Hamas spokesman also criticized Israel’s internal probe of the assault, saying that the regime had found a way to escape its responsibility for the crimes it committed.

“Israel is clearly fleeing from the international pressure,” he was quoted as saying by AFP.

Barhoum also urged the international community to push for a complete halt to the Gaza siege.