GAZA, Jan 23: Israel on Friday dismissed international calls for a full reopening of border crossings with the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, leaving a shaky ceasefire and post-war reconstruction in doubt.

While a UN official praised Israel’s “goodwill” for letting 120 truckloads per day of food and medicine into Gaza, other diplomats decried restrictions on steel and cement imports needed to make repairs after Israel’s 22-day offensive.

Israel also blocked the western-backed Palestinian Authority from sending cash to Gaza, despite international warnings that President Mahmoud Abbas’s standing was at stake.

“They are afraid it will go to Hamas,” a senior western diplomat said of the cash. Barring a swift change in Israeli policy, the diplomat said the emergency response and long-term reconstruction were “bound to fail”.

US officials voiced support, under certain conditions, for opening the crossings more fully, but they set no timetable.

John Ging, who heads the operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency in the Gaza Strip, said the end-result of Israel’s war, which killed 1,300 Palestinians and injured more than 5,000 others, was “more extremists”.

Hamas has conditioned abiding by the ceasefire, which took effect on Sunday, on Israel lifting its crippling blockade.

But a top adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert appeared to rule that out. “If opening the passages will strengthen Hamas, we won’t do it,” he said.

Israel believes the restrictions at the crossings will give it leverage in Egyptian-mediated negotiations with Hamas to free Gilad Shalit, a captured Israeli soldier.

But Israel finds itself under increasing pressure to do more to ease hardships for Gaza’s 1.5 million residents.

US President Barack Obama said on Thursday Gaza’s border crossings should be reopened to both humanitarian and commercial goods under a “monitoring regime” that includes Abbas’s Palestinian Authority, Hamas’s rival.—Reuters