Its interesting how Israel having a walled border (which is actually a fence for 91% of its route) is an issue - despite it having cut down terrorist attacks dramatically - yet the Egyptians can have a wall all they want. Interesting double standards, and interesting which one the media talk about.

Ben, London,

Why doesn't anyone ever ask why they don't use the millions of dollars on food and fuel instead of bombs? They have almost no income as a people, they live on handouts...mostly from Israel.

If Israel stopped raids and bombings, the rocket attacks would not only continue, they would increase. I agree with the ploy to make them miserable until it ends, until the average population insists they stop. Until then, it's the same as it always was and will always be.

Paul, Ohio, USA

Both the Israelis and Palestinians have to live side by side, nothing is going to change it. It is better they solve their problems, they got to start some where, this can not continue.
Some folks are questioning people purchasing motor cycles, tv etc. that may be less than half a percent, looks like most of them were looking for food.

Mushtaq Ahmed, Miami, FL, U.S.A

The Israeli government should watch this with interest and not act hastily. Hamas' support grows from the confinement in Gaza, feeding the cycle that ultimately only Israeli PR campaigns benefit from. With an open border a relatively moderate influence is available to Gazans, along with goods that will ease their lives.
Me pacify ourselves with iPods and shiny shoes; let the Gazans pacify themselves with Egyptian cigarettes and fuel.

Dominic Robinson, London, UK

Humanitarian Crisis usually does not mean money for coke, televisions, one guy bought a motercycle, and ciggarettes. That you can buy weapons in Gaza, guns and RPGs," as quoted here, far easier than cancer medicine or Coca-Cola, says a lot. This is not a humanitarian crisis, money for luxuries is never such, and never seen in other countries with humanitarian needs, who dreams this up?

Most of the Gazans orginally were orginally ruled by Egypt and speak the Arabic dialect spoken in Egypt. Let us see what Eygpt does with this. This was a political move by Hamas but it may backfire on them, and Egypt will pay.

As to lifting the seige. Why should western goverments continually give aid to an regime whoes idealogy is totally opposed to ours? The Palestinians have been spoiled by aid and most of it has gone down the drain.

Dona S, Edinburgh, Scotland

how people cant see this is beyond me... everyones always sypathetic to the israelis... they shouldnt even be there.... if they dont like it.. go back to where they came from!

What? Jerusalem? Israelis come from Isreal.

They have a right to defend themselves, even if that means cutting the power supply to the civilian population in a bid to halt the rocket attacks.

What I can't understand is, why do so many have so much sympathy for the Palestinians.

Why do so many pitty the Hamas Government when it sanctions attacks against civilian targets and population centres.

At least Isreal is waging a deliberate war against the civilian populace.

Lawrence, Davyhulme, Manchester, Greater Manchester, UK

They bit the hand that fed them. Simple as.

Holly Shaw, London, UK

What do you expect,

if someone takes your land by force, locks you up in a cage, deprives you of the basic needs. gets you in a strangle hold where everything around begins to decay... your going to fight back...

how people cant see this is beyond me... everyones always sypathetic to the israelis... they shouldnt even be there.... if they dont like it.. go back to where they came from!

m, manchester, UK

What do you expect

When a foreign state takes over your land, makes you homeless whilst building them selves plush houses, locks you up in a jail, does all it can to put a strangle hold on you and your people so you cant get on with life!

what do you expect, the palestinians to just sit thier and let the israelis walk all over them, take from them all that was thiers, the palestians welcomed the jews in to thier country with open arms when no other country would even allow them to evtry to thiers..

and this is how they pay them back!

m, manchester, UK

Who is responsible for the “Humanitarian crisis”?
A complete closure of the Gaza Strip will eventually stop the bombing of Israeli localities with Kassam missils. It will also cause a humanitarian crisis. But let’s be faire : The Arabs, and the Arabs alone are responsible for the crisis – If they stop bombing Israel, there will be no closure. But this is not the real probleme. In order to bring a solution to the Israelo-Arab probleme we need a new approach as analyzed at : http://israelagainstterror.blogspot.com/2008/01/new-paradigm-for-israeli-palestinian_19.html

Jerome Bernier, Ashdod, Israel

Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy Kingdom come,thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and for give us our traspasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, and deliver us from evil.

What is going on in Israel and the Gazza needs to be addressed, why has there never been any peace keepers in Gaza & Israel is peace less improtant in that area than any where else.

The Lord is my shepard, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures, he restoreth my soul, he leadeth me in the part of rightousness. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil, for thou are with me, his rod and his staff shall comfort me.

We need peace healing and forgiveness, and love. And god in our lives or we shall surely die, from desease, global warming and wars and distruction. If Man knows better he should do better.

Daphne, Cambridge, UK

Yet again, no mention of the self imposed 2-month ceasefire by Hamas where no rockets fell in Israel. During that time Israel continued to carry out air strikes killing 22 civilians including 8 children. That is the most important fact of this whole story and what a surprise that pro-Israeli scum like The Times refuse to report the truth. I wonder if that has anything to do with your god, better known as Rupert?

Marcus, London,

You really can't expect someone who you are firing missiles at almost everyday since they pulled their troops out to provide you with electricity while your rockets (aimed specificly at civilians) repeatedly shuts theirs downl. That is just plain ridiculous. Obviously the Palestinians feel it worth the sacrifice to be able to shoot rockets at Isrealis (and migrant workers). They truly do have a choice. Hamas could not rule without a certain amount of support all they all know this.

Palestinians have a lot of choices. They have chosen armed struggle and should expect armed struggle as a result of that and anyone who tells them differently is doing much harm to the Palestinian people.

Cherice, Santa Rosa, Ca, USA

The situation in Gaza is reminiscent of the Warsaw Ghetto- here nazi atrocities carried out on the civilian population were also in response to terroist acts by the jewish resistance.

Hugh, kbh, Denmark

Egypt is constrained in two ways: a) the agreement on the Rafah crossing brokered by Condaleeza Rice, and b) the Peace Agreement between Egypt and Israel.
The former essentially prevents use of the crossing without Israeli permission, although Egypt has breached this occasionally eg. in allowing stranded pilgrims to return to Gaza. The latter constrains the number of officials the Egyptians can have in Sinai which means they have difficulty enough trying to stop smuggling without dealing with the additional traffic from any major aid effort. They have asked Israel for permission to increase the number of, say border guards, but have been refused in the past.

Could the UNSC issue some kind of direction that would allow Egypt to help without risking the Peace Agreement?

Gwenda Blackwell, Melbourne, Australia

I had the experience of driving through the Israeli town of Sderot which had more than 50 hits of Quasam rockets in the last three weeks. The situation there reminded me of London under the V1 and V2 rocket attacks in 1944-5.
Would the British people support oil and food delivery to the hungry German population at that time?
The food/oil sanctions may not lead to a cessation in the rocket barrage but delivering oil to facilitate more rocket attack would be sheer lunacy on part of the Israeli government.

Gordon Scot Wilk, Hartford CT., USA

I'm curious about Egypt's part in all of this. There is a border between Egypt and Gaza - why Palestinians do not rely on Egypt to supply food, fuel and so on? And why does President Mubarak of Egypt avoid doing this already? I would like to see Arab to Arab solidarity. As for Israel, they still supply 70% of electricity to Gaza, and they suffer daily missiles attacks, This is insane, and the Palestinians should get their act together already.

Amir Smith., Los Angeles, California