Among the many crucial omissions in the letter "Time to end Israel's Gaza blockade" (28 December), the most striking is any reference to the responsibility of the Hamas terrorist organisation, which has taken Gaza hostage.
There was, it should be recalled, no blockade on Gaza before Hamas launched hundreds of rockets forcing over 1 million Israelis to live within seconds of bomb shelters. Nor would there be any reason for the restrictions imposed by Israel and Egypt on Gaza if Hamas were not working ceaselessly to acquire weaponry to carry out further attacks.
Palestinians too pay the price for Hamas's brutality and corruption. The electricity shortage in Gaza is a result of Hamas's refusal to pay the Palestinian Authority standard tax on the fuel it is receiving. As a Palestinian representative in London said recently: "Since Hamas took power in Gaza, there are 1,200 new millionaires who have taken advantage of the tunnel industry and the fuel transfers". Finally, Gaza is not the same size as Newcastle. Gaza is 360 sq km while Newcastle is less than a third of that size, at 113 sq km.
Yiftah Curiel
Spokesperson, Embassy of Israel
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