Publication

The three-year old isolation imposed on the Gaza Strip by Israel has led to an economic and humanitarian crisis in the enclave and a strengthening of Hamas rule. Despite a flurry of reports by international organizations, it was only the Israeli attack on the so-called Freedom Flotilla that triggered widespread condemnation of the blockade. The EU’s diplomatic effort towards solving the problem has revealed a dispute over external-action competences, this time resolved in favor of the presidency.