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Sharon hints at temporary lift of blockade
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ISRAELI Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said on Wednesday he would ease a blockade on parts of the West Bank and Gaza if fighting subsided but gave local commanders powers to reimpose it if they felt it necessary.
Four days before he is to have his first talks as Israel's leader with US President George W Bush, Sharon told his 13-member inner security cabinet the restrictions would be lifted from Palestinian areas where fighting subsided.
Sharon's office said Israel would allow raw materials into Palestinian areas, fishing in Gaza, the building of a power plant and, where security permitted, free passage in the West Bank and Gaza and an easing of the blockade.
Israel says it imposed the blockade for security reasons, while Palestinians brand it collective punishment. Whatever the reason, the result has been to cripple the Palestinian economy. (SD-Agencies)
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