In the Occupied Territories, a new report has found nearly half of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza are “food insecure.” The World Food Program study marks the first since the Bush administration led efforts to impose an international boycott on the Palestinian government following the election of Hamas. Four out of five Palestinian families in Gaza reported reducing their overall spending, including food purchases. The news comes as the Bush administration has reiterated its refusal to lift the aid freeze on the Palestinian government. Other Middle East Quartet members have expressed willingness to explore a softer stance but have so far refused to back lifting the boycott. On Thursday, Hamas spokesperson Ghazi Hamad criticized the international stance.

Hamas spokesperson Ghazi Hamad: “The pressure should be also imposed on the Israeli side, that denies all our national rights, that denies the ’67 borders, that denies the right of return, that denies also the right of evacuation of all settlements. So I think it is not fair to impose a condition on the Palestinian side and at the same time to ignore the Israeli government.”