# Abbas to Obama: I'm Against Lifting the Gaza Naval Blockade - Barak Ravid
PA leader Mahmoud Abbas told President Obama on Wednesday that he is opposed to lifting the naval blockade of Gaza because this would bolster Hamas. Abbas told Obama that easing the blockage should be done with care and undertaken gradually so as not to be construed as a victory for Hamas. European diplomats said Egypt also opposes lifting the blockade. (Ha'aretz)
# Israel's Gaza Policy: Prevent the Entry of War Materiel
At the weekly cabinet meeting Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: "The principle guiding our policy is clear - to prevent the entry of war materiel from entering Gaza and to allow the entry of humanitarian aid and non-contraband goods into Gaza." (Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
See also Hamas' Grip on Gaza Loosening Under Embargo - Herb Keinon
With EU foreign ministers scheduled to meet in Brussels Monday to discuss how to ease the Israeli blockade of Gaza, Israel is trying to convince key players in the EU that the blockade is working, and that Hamas is facing serious financial difficulties and losing popularity. Senior diplomatic officials said Hamas is in trouble politically, economically and in terms of popularity, that the blockade is working, and that this is not the time to lift it.
One European diplomat said European leaders were under a great deal of pressure from their own public opinion to act. "You have to remember that nationals from 12 European countries were on the flotilla, and the leaders are under strong pressure from their constituents." (Jerusalem Post)
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