Israeli Cabinet Considers Easing Gaza Blockade

Israel's security cabinet is meeting to discuss a possible easing of the blockade of the Gaza Strip.

The meeting comes after the Middle East envoy Tony Blair said he was confident Israeli leaders would agree to a partial lifting of the blockade.

Speaking to the BBC on Monday, Mr Blair said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had agreed in principle to a "significant change" in the way the blockade was organised.

One possibility is to agree a new list of banned items, rather than the current list of permitted goods, which critics claim is arbitrary.

Israel has been under pressure to loosen the restrictions since it attacked a flotilla of ships attempting to deliver aid to Palestinians in Gaza.

Meanwhile, the UN says Israel has agreed to let it distribute the aid.

There has been widespread international criticism of the way Israel intercepted the flotilla on 31 May, leading to the deaths of nine people.

Israel says the aim of the blockade is to prevent war material entering Gaza and to allow the entry of humanitarian aid.