PNA blames Israel for tightening siege against Gaza

The Palestinian National Authority's General Authority of Civil Affairs (GACA) on Tuesday blamed Israel for restricting its work in the Gaza Strip by withdrawing movement permits from most of its high ranking officials working in Gaza.

The GACA press officer Mohammad Al-Maqadmah told Xinhua over phone that Israeli authorities have recently cancelled the permits of 12 out of 14 employees who are mandated with coordination assignments in Gaza.

Al-Maqadmah said this Israeli measure was taken gradually and targeted GACA's top level employees who are assigned to coordinate the access of goods and construction material into Gaza and transport sick citizens for medical treatment out of the coastal enclave.

"This is a political and unjustified measure that aims at tightening the siege on the Gaza Strip," he added.

Israeli daily, Haaretz, reported on its website Tuesday that the Coordination of (Israeli) Government Activities in the Territories Office (COGAT) said that canceling the permits came for security reasons, without disclosing more information.

GACA is the official body to coordinate affairs of civil nature between the PNA and Israeli, including movement and access permits and goods and other related matters.

This latest step comes on the backdrop of a complaint by Gaza's businessmen association, after Israel cancelled the permits of 2,000 merchant from Gaza since the beginning of this year, and considered it a step to tighten the siege against Gaza and weaken its economy.

Israel imposed a tight blockade on the Gaza Strip since Islamic Hamas movement seized power by force after routing Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas security forces in 2007. Endit