Israel loosens some restrictions on Gaza

GAZA－Residents of the Gaza Strip said Israel had eased some restrictions on the blockaded enclave by expanding the fishing zone and granting entry access to some imported goods.

In the early morning of Sunday, dozens of Gazan fishermen gathered to sell various kinds of fish caught the night before, saying the expansion of the fishing zone enabled them to fish more.

Mohammed Saeed, a fisherman from the al-Shati refugee camp, said he succeeded in catching many kinds of seafood off the coast of Gaza for the first time in months.

"Today, I caught sardine, shrimp, salmon, bream and other types of fish. If the Israeli authorities further expand the fishing zone, we will fish more and earn enough money," said the 36-year-old, the sole breadwinner of a 12-member family.

Samir al-Masry, a 54-year-old fisherman from Gaza City, said the siege imposed on the sea prevented many fishermen from living a decent life and forced them to rely on aid provided by international institutions.

Commercial passage

On Sunday morning, the Israeli authorities allowed the entry of 29 vehicles into Gaza, which had been held at Israeli ports since May.

Meanwhile, boxes of goods entered Gaza through the crossing point of Kerem Shalom, the only commercial passage that connects the enclave to the outside world.

Mahmoud Dawood, a car trader from Gaza city, finally received his cars that had been held at Israeli ports for months.

"We were looking forward to receiving our cars in the Strip and sell them to our customers," said Dawood, adding that car trading can affect the economic situation of Gaza due to the high demand in the local market. He expressed hope that the Israeli authorities would decouple the political and economic situations in the Gaza Strip.

One day after the loosening of restrictions, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh has been reelected unopposed, officials confirmed, furthering his grip over the group that controls the Gaza Strip after recent clashes.

In a statement, Hamas said that its electoral process had concluded with his reappointment as political chief after "tens of thousands" of members took part in the poll.

He was recently involved in talks aimed at bolstering the Cairo-brokered cease-fire that ended the latest deadly violence between the Jewish state and Hamas.

The 11-day conflict in May killed 13 Israelis and 260 Palestinians, including some fighters.

Xinhua - Agencies