(AFP) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Sunday there would be no let-up in Israel's much-criticised blockade of Gaza, warning that the ceasefire with the territory's Hamas rulers remained fragile.
"We are being asked to ease the living conditions of the population and allow goods and equipment in, but we have other priorities in the Gaza Strip," a senior official quoted Netanyahu as telling a cabinet meeting.
"We do not want to strengthen Hamas, not by allowing them to rebuild their defences," he said.
"The ceasefire is not complete and is very fragile," the official quoted Netanyahu as saying. "Hamas continues to smuggle through the tunnels."
"We want to bring Gilad Shalit back home,We need to find a balance between easing the conditions of the (Gaza) population and easing on Hamas's ability to acquire more weapons."
