New Israeli Tack Needed on Gaza, U.S. Officials Say, The New York Times, June 2, 2010, by Ethan Bronner, excerpt quoted verbatim:

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration considers Israel’s blockade of Gaza to be untenable and plans to press for another approach to ensure Israel’s security while allowing more supplies into the impoverished Palestinian area, senior American officials said Wednesday.

The officials say that Israel’s deadly attack on a flotilla trying to break the siege and the resulting international condemnation create a new opportunity to push for increased engagement with the Palestinian Authority and a less harsh policy toward Gaza.

“There is no question that we need a new approach to Gaza,” said one official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the policy shift is still in the early stages. He was reflecting a broadly held view in the upper reaches of the administration.

Israel would insist that any approach take into account three factors: Israel’s security; the need to prevent any benefit to Hamas, the Islamist rulers of Gaza; and the four-year-old captivity of an Israeli soldier held by Hamas, Staff Sgt. Gilad Shalit.

Since the botched raid that killed nine activists on Monday, the Israeli government has said that the blockade was necessary to protect Israel against the infiltration into Gaza of weapons and fighters sponsored by Iran.

If there were no blockade in place, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Israeli television on Wednesday evening, it would mean “an Iranian port in Gaza.” He added, “Israel will continue to maintain its right to defend itself.”

But the American officials said they believed that even Mr. Netanyahu understood that a new approach was needed.

Yet Mr. Netanyahu has resisted American pressure in the past. The Obama administration initially demanded a complete freeze on Israeli settlements in the West Bank, but had to accept a 10-month partial freeze. Pressure on Israel also carries domestic political risks for Mr. Obama, given the passion of its supporters in the United States.

Read the full article, here.

Comment by Evans Liberal Politics owner Paul Evans: The Israeli handling of the situation of Hamas being in control in Gaza has resembled nothing short of genocide. If you are not familiar with the latest atrocity see Israel Massacres Unarmed Peace Activists (Updated), Daily Kos on Evans Liberal Politics, May 31, 2010, by heathlander. For coverage of the last so-called war in Gaza — by which we mean genocide — see Palestinians: 1,300 killed, 22,000 buildings destroyed in Gaza, CNN, January 19, 2010, by CNN, excerpt quoted verbatim:

(CNN) — More than 1,300 Palestinians died and about 5,400 others were wounded during Israel’s three-week offensive in Gaza, the Web site of the Palestinian Authority’s Central Bureau of Statistics said Monday.

Louay Shabana, head of the agency, said more than 22,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed. Shabana put the economic destruction at more than $1.9 billion.

The fighting largely stopped Sunday with a cease-fire. Israel has said 13 of its citizens — including 10 soldiers — were killed during the offensive, which started December 27.

Israel said its offensive was aimed at stopping Hamas militants from firing rockets into southern Israel.

Gaza is in need of humanitarian, economic, sanitary and social help as a result of the Israeli attacks, Shabana said.

The attacks destroyed public sector and private buildings in Gaza, affecting even the United Nations Relief and Works Agency’s facilities and halting economic and social services, the statistics agency said.

159 children were among 1,300 people killed in Gaza during Israeli Operation Cast Lead. This is not acceptable. It was not “disproportionate force,” and it was not really just a painful massacre, but rises to the level of genocide against an entire people.

See Netanyahu defends Israel actions; flotilla activists arrive in Turkey, CNN, June 2, 2010, by CNN Wire Staff.

See Israel rejects independent probe calls, Jerusalem Post, June 2, 2010, by Tovah Lazaroff.

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