This is an excerpt from the New York Times Editorial dated 1st June 2010. They recognise the suffering of the people of Gaza and ask if the blockade is working.
There is a bigger question that Israel - and the United States - must be asking: is the blockade working? Is it weakening Hamas? Or just punishing Gaza's 1.4 million residents - and diverting attention away from abuses by Hamas, including its shelling of Israeli cities and its refusal to accept Israel's right to exist? At this point, it should be clear that the blockade is unjust and against Israel's long-term security.
The situation in Gaza is grim. Eight out of ten people depend on international aid agencies to survive. Basic foodstuffs are available but medical supplies and construction materials are severely lacking. The desperation could be seen on Tuesday when Egypt lifted the blockade and several thousand Garzans rushed the border but were later sent home after police officers said they did not know when the crossing would be opened.
On Tuesday, President Obama expressed his "deep regret" over the flotilla incident. He is doing Israel no favors with such a tepid response. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has shown time and time again that he prefers bullying and confrontation over diplomacy. Washington needs to make clear to him just how dangerous and counter-productive that approach is.
Mr Obama needs to state clearly that the Israeli attack was unacceptable and back an impartial international investigation. The United states should also join the other permanent members of the United Nations Security Council - Britain, France, Russia and China - in urging Israel to permanently lift the blockade. That would lessen the suffering of the people of Gaza and it would give the United States more credibility as it presses both Israelis and the Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas to negotiate a peace deal.
http://www.nytimes.com/2-1-/06/02/opinion/02wed1.html?scp=gaza%20blockade&st;=cse
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