RELATED:PM: Easing blockade hurts Hamas’s PRUNRWA wants full blockade lift"Israel's strategic position is falling apart. We have the chance to make a change, and to do this we need to initiate new policy," the opposition leader stressed. Livni added that "the new Israeli patriotism and the strong desire to retain our Jewish identity needs to come along with the ideal that a two-state-solution is a strong Israeli interest.""A change in policy and in the make-up of our government can make a big difference in our international standing," Livni concluded.
Netanyahu: Blockade ease will weakens Hamas, IranPrimeMinister Binyamin Netanyahu justified on Monday the cabinet’s decision to lift the civilian blockade of the Gaza Strip, arguing that the move would help confront Hamas – and Iran – more effectively.“The cabinet decision removes the civilian blockade on Gaza while tightening the security blockade,” Netanyahu told the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, explaining Monday’s final approval of a relaxation of the blockade. “The decision was made in accordance with the United States, with Quartet representative Tony Blair and with other heads of state with whom I have spoken in recent days. This is the best decision for Israel because it pulls Hamas’s main propaganda claim out from under it, and allows us and our friends in the world to unite around our real security needs.”