The decision on Thursday by the Israeli Security Cabinet will see a larger range of goods being allowed into the impoverished Palestinian territory.
The decision comes as the country attempts to fend off criticism over its role last month in a violent raid on a flotilla carrying supplies to Gaza—a region that has been under strict control by Israel for the past four years.
In a brief statement on Thursday, the government said it will “liberalize the system by which civilian goods enter Gaza [and] expand the inflow of materials for civilian projects that are under international supervision.”
However, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said that the naval blockade would remain, and officials would inspect all goods coming in by land.
“The intention is to ensure that more goods can enter, but always after an Israeli check, which will ensure that there is no weaponry, no arms, and no materials, which could be used for warfare,” he said in a statement.
Although the statement did not specify which goods would now be allowed into Gaza, it is believed that in the next week Israel will replace its current list of approved goods, with a list of prohibited goods.
In addition, it is also expected that Israel will begin to allow construction materials to be brought into the country for U.N.-sponsored projects.
The Associated Press quoted an Israeli military official as saying that all food would be allowed into Gaza with immediate effect. Previously officials only allowed a restricted list of items to enter the country.
The new measures were given a cautious welcome outside Israel. Hamas rejected the plan as “window dressing.”
“What is needed is a complete lifting of the blockade,” spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri was quoted as saying. “Goods and people must be free to enter and leave. Gaza especially needs construction materials, which must be allowed to come in without restrictions.”
The European Union said it welcomed the decision.
“We’re looking with great interest to what the Israeli Cabinet has said this morning,” senior EU diplomat Catherine Ashton said, adding that she hoped it would allow “many more products” to enter Gaza.
France’s Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner told reporters, “It is the first major progress since the crisis began. But it is not enough.”
The current list of prohibited items is said to include some goods as innocuous as toilet paper and ginger, on the grounds that they could constitute a security risk.
Similarly, many construction materials have been banned based on the fear that militant groups could use them to build rockets, or fortifications.
The blockade was launched against the Gaza Strip following the capture of an Israeli soldier during a raid in 2006.
In the statement on Thursday, the Israel government said that it “expects the international community to work toward the immediate release of Gilad Shalit.”
Shalit is an Israeli soldier who was captured in Gaza in June 2006. It is believed that the now 23-year-old is still in the custody of Hamas at an undisclosed location.
