400 commodities still banned from Gaza

Israeli occupation authorities continue to prevent the entry of 400 commodities into the Gaza Strip, a senior Palestinian official said yesterday.

Maher Al-Tabbaa, is a senior official in Gaza’s Chamber of Industry and Commerce, said Israeli occupation authorities had tightened measures against Palestinian traders, companies and businessmen.

These remarks came a day after occupation authorities said they had facilitated the movement of goods and commodities into the Gaza Strip.

Speaking to QudsNet, Al-Tabbaa said: “Israel bans all chemical raw materials needed for the industrial sector, cleaning materials, sponges, paints, welding skewers and other materials needed for making furniture.”

He noted that Israel had tightened its restrictions by withdrawing more than 1,500 travel permits from traders and businessmen.

It is still controlling the entry of cement and construction materials, he explained, paralysing the construction industry.