Cement has been allowed into the Gaza Strip following a two-month ban imposed on the area, according to the Palestinian Authority’s department of civil affairs.
The department’s media director, Muhammad al-Maqadma, said in a press statement that the minister of civil affairs, Hussein al-Sheikh, had worked on returning the entry of cement after a two-month suspension.
Israel’s suspension of cement imports in the Gaza Strip was applied to the private sector, while international organizations were allowed access to cement shipments for reconstruction efforts.
Khudari: Israel's ban on cement entry paralyzed #Gaza reconstruction https://t.co/H3TAnNt0J2 @palinfoen #Palestine pic.twitter.com/0nS59jnDmS
— al whit (@soitiz) May 21, 2016
The ban on cement was implemented by Israeli authorities on April 3, following the discovery of a tunnel passing from the Gaza Strip into Israel and accused Hamas of diverting construction materials from its intended legitimate beneficiaries.
Israel’s cement ban was widely criticized as it prevented hundreds of Gazans who were made homeless during the devastating 2014 war from rebuilding their homes. It also suspended the jobs of some 40,000 workers employed in the construction sector.
(MA’AN, PC)
