Israel to Relax Gaza Blockade

On Sunday, Israel announced that it will ease restrictions on what goods can reach the Gaza Strip, a small sign of progress after weeks of international calls for the state to end its Gaza blockade. All goods except those on a list of specifically banned items will be able to reach Gaza, a policy in accordance with its vow to funnel more "civilian goods," such as food and household items, into the region. The Israeli government has yet to specify what items are banned nor has it addressed the timeline for lifting the restrictions, though in a statement it said it would publish the ban list "as quickly as possible." Questions still remain on how Israel will deal with "dual-use" goods, items like construction materials or cement that can also be used for military purposes.