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Gaza Strip: Crisis Takes a Psychological Toll on Locals, August 13, 2010
Two-thirds of Gazans still suffer symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following the 2008-2009 Israeli invasion, Time reports. In addition to continued electricity outages, water shortages, a lack of construction materials and other physical impediments to recovery, psychological effects of the blockade have resulted in a continued level of high stress and trauma for Gaza residents. According to psychologists and residents, "most damaging...is the feeling that there is no way out, no way to change Gaza's future."
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Israel's Gaza Blockade: Millions of Dollars Worth of Aid Piles Up in Warehouses, August 11, 2010
The Christian Science Monitor reports that, despite 'easing' its blockade on Gaza following the May flotilla raid, Israel has prevented millions of dollars worth of aid from entering Gaza. Many of the items currently held in Israeli warehouses awaiting approval for transport are construction materials and equipment. While vital to many international Gaza recovery projects, Israel considers these items to pose potential security threats. The ongoing delays have cost donors, including the United States and the United Nations, millions of dollars in storage facility fees and personnel salaries.
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Israel Approves New Settlement Homes, August 3, 2010
Al Jazeera reports that Jerusalem's municipal planning committee has approved the construction of 40 new housing units in the Pisgat Zeev settlement in East Jerusalem. These 40 units are part of a larger plan to construct 210 new homes in Pisgat Zeev. This plan has been lauded as fulfilling a fundamental "right" for Israelis. The most recent approval comes at a critical moment, as the Arab League and the U.S. State Department have recently expressed that now is the "right time" to resume direct talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
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Thirteen Israeli Air Strikes Hit Gaza Strip, August 2, 2010
BBC reports that Israeli planes carried out 13 air strikes in the Gaza Strip. Official reports from the Israeli army claim that the strikes targeted four weapons factories, but witnesses claim that metal workshops, farms and a milk factory were also hit. The strikes injured at least three children and one infant. These attacks are the most serious since Israel's assault on Gaza in 2009, and Palestinian officials are calling for international efforts to prevent possible escalation.
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