Sir, Your view that Hamas’s triumph in the Gaza Strip is a disaster (leading article, June 16) is horribly pessimistic. Wasn’t the rise of Islamic movements, both traditionalist and modernist, in the Arab world a byproduct of years of war, occupation and destitution? What do Israel and the West expect after they imposed harsh economic sanctions on the entire Palestinian populace?

The West has shown a reckless disregard for the welfare of the Palestinian people and a callous attitude towards their suffering, and embarked on a vicious onslaught of economic and political strangulation aimed at breaking their will and destroying their morale, and now they blame Hamas for destroying any possible chance of a two-state solution. Hasn’t the time come for Western governments to stop meddling in Palestinians’ affairs or risk seeing chaos spread from Palestine across the entire region?

MUNJED FARID AL QUTOB, Londonm SW5

Sir, With the recent effective Hamas takeover of Gaza, the world is again looking to the United States to sort it out. However, it is not America that can bring peace in Gaza but neighbouring Egypt.

The UN resolution of 1947 that created the state of Israel also granted Gaza to Egypt. Egypt’s incentive to wrest Gaza from Hamas is the natural gas field discovered in 2001 off the coast of Gaza. The royalties from this field could finance the development of North Sinai. It has a beautiful coastline crying out for development as a tourist area. All it needs is people and money.

It is just not possible for the 1.3 million people in Gaza, who are largely unemployed and uneducated and are without any sort of sustainable economy, to survive as an independent unit. Its only hope is to be absorbed in a larger unit such as Egypt.

If Egypt gave Egyptian nationality to the citizens of Gaza and the incentive to leave Gaza by giving them land in North Sinai, Hamas’s influence would disappear. Egypt would be giving land for peace: land to the former Palestinians to cultivate and develop.

HOWARD D. SHERRINGTON, Manchester

Sir, At present, Gaza is completely sealed off. Without access, the humanitarian situation will almost certainly worsen. People in Gaza and the West Bank are fearful and traumatised and there is deep uncertainty about the future. Immediate needs include healthcare, fuel, funds and food supplies. Oxfam and its partners have faced severe restrictions in recent days and are now working to address the needs of the people.

The international community cannot escape some measure of responsibility for creating the conditions for the current situation. Since the international aid boycott began more than a year ago, Palestinians have become increasingly desperate. Salaries, pensions and welfare benefits have gone unpaid, pushing families into debt and poverty.

By refusing to deal with Hamas, governments have given money to individual Palestinians rather than the institutions responsible for delivery of services. The results are schools without books and hospitals without drugs.

Under the boycott, lawlessness has increased as tens of thousands of police have not been paid. Governments have supported Fatah-led institutions and forces exacerbating tensions and contributing to the breakdown of law and order.

EU foreign ministers are meeting on Monday. They should review the aid boycott and return to direct funding of Palestinian institutions as soon as possible.

Peace and security for all cannot be achieved by isolating any one party. If Palestinian institutions break down then the prospects for the future are bleak indeed.

BARBARA STOCKING, Director, Oxfam GB, Oxford

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