In Israel and the Occupied Territories, the Israeli cabinet is expected to approve a proposal today to alter the blockade of the Gaza Strip. More goods would be allowed to enter Gaza. But Israel would still decide what could be barred and would also maintain its naval blockade. The United Nations meanwhile has agreed to distribute the aid seized in the Israeli assault on the Gaza-bound Freedom Flotilla last month. The United Nations special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, Robert Serry, announced the deal.

Robert Serry: “The United Nations has obtained the consent of the cargo owners of the three Turkish-registered vessels to take possession of and responsibility for the entire cargo and ensure its timely distribution in Gaza for humanitarian purposes as determined by the United Nations. The government of Israel has agreed to release the entire cargo to the United Nations in Gaza, again on the understanding that it is for the United Nations to determine its appropriate humanitarian use in Gaza.”