Hamas: Israel will ease crippling Gaza siege amid talks

Hamas leader Ismail Radwan has revealed some of the details of the “positive” talks with Israel earlier this week, mediated by senior Egyptian officials.

In a press release, Redwan announced that the second phase of the ceasefire agreement includes expanding the fishing zone off Gaza’s coast from 14 to 20 nautical miles, allowing besieged Gazans to an additional high-voltage electricity line, referred to as Line 161, and allowing exports from the besieged enclave.

He added that reconstructing civilian houses and infrastructure and launching projects designed to provide job opportunities for Gaza’s population, which 45 percent of them are unemployed would be part of the second phase of the ceasefire negotiations with Israel.

On Friday, head of Hamas’ political bureau in Gaza urged that the group will do all it can to break the crippling siege on Gaza.

“We do not bargain our rights with our food. We decided to break the Israeli siege imposed on Gaza through international brokers, the peaceful protests or any other means”, Yahya Sinwar said.

“We will use every means to break the Israeli siege imposed on the Gaza Strip for more than 11 years”, he added.

Gaza has been under siege for 11 years, creating a major human catastrophe in the enclave.

In 2007, Israel imposed a land, sea and air blockade on the strip, effectively turning the coastal enclave into an open-air prison, where basic necessities such as food, fuel and medicines are severely controlled.

Critics say the blockade amounts to collective punishment of the coastal enclave's two million residents. The UN says Gaza will be uninhabitable by 2020, but human rights organisations say Gaza has reached inhabitability now.