About that Gaza 'blockade'
For the first time since the Islamist Hamas movement seized power in the territory in June 2007, Gaza's flower and strawberry farmers may be able to export most of their produce to Europe with help from The Netherlands.
"There are promises that the crossings will remain open for exports," the 33-year-old farmer says as workers clip carnations and pack them into crates in a sprawling greenhouse near the southern Gaza town of Rafah.
"Last year our losses were huge. I alone lost 800,000 dollars (550,000 euros)," he says. "We harvested the flowers and then we fed them to the sheep and cows."
Israel allowed only limited exports of flowers and strawberries -- Gaza's main cash crops -- during the season following the bloody Hamas takeover in June 2007 before halting all exports in January 2008, according to the Palestine Trade Centre (Paltrade), which works with the World Bank.
Exports only resumed after Israel's devastating 22-day war on Hamas in December 2008 and January 2009, when 14 truckloads of carnations were allowed out of Gaza, according to Paltrade.
Each month Israel allows hundreds of truckloads of basic goods into the territory of 1.5 million people, but apart from the strawberries and flowers it has allowed virtually no exports since Hamas took power.
Israel Matzav: About that Gaza 'blockade'
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