EU offers to vet supplies imports into Palestine

PRESSURE on Isreal to lift the blockade on Gaza has been increasing since their army attacked a flotilla of vessels attempting to bring aid to the beseiged area.

The European Union has offered to vet imports of supplies to help the 1.4 million Palestinians rebuild their infrastructure, either in Cyprus or the Israeli port of Ashdod as well as through the Rafah border crossing from Egypt.

EU officials said there are indications the Israelis are willing to agree some kind of formula that would increase the amount of goods getting through.

Foreign Minister Micheál Martin told an Oireachtas committee yesterday he was aware from contacts with the Obama administration that the issue was being actively addressed with Israel.

“There may also be scope for a significantly enhanced role for the UN and/or the EU in inspecting aid consignments bound for Gaza. The details need to be fully teased out. However it is important that the opportunity which now exists to lift or ameliorate the blocade is not lost,” he said.

The issue is on the agenda for Monday’s meeting of EU Foreign Ministers after both Mr Martin and the Portuguese minister requested it be discussed. The meeting is expected to back the UN’s call for a full investigation of the May 31 boarding by Israeli commandos of aid vessels in international waters.

This has heightened tensions, with Turkey, once Israel’s main alley in the region, recalling its ambassador and reducing all contact to a minimum.

Meanwhile Turkey and Brazil voted against imposing a fourth round of sanctions on Iran in the UN Security Council on Wednesday after the other countries had succeeded in getting Russia and China to agree to them.

The EU foreign ministers are expected to agree on Monday to go further than the UN has so far by extending finance curbs, asset freezes against companies and individuals and imposing travel bans.