Gaza - something doesn't add up

The BBC amongst others is very keen to tell us that: 'Construction materials are banned from entering Gaza by Israel, which says they could be used for military purposes by Hamas.' as they tell us how much concrete is being carried in the 'aid convoys'.

That's odd as Ma'an News 'the main source of independent news from Palestine' reported on 18 May the following:

'Gaza's first Olympic-standard swimming pool was inaugurated at the As-Sadaka club during a ceremony on Tuesday held by the Islamic Society.

Gaza government ministers, members of the Palestinian Legislative Council, leaders of Islamic and national governing bodies, as well as club members and athletes were among those at the opening ceremony, where Secretary-General of the Islamic Society Nasim Yaseen thanked the donors who helped realize the project.'

How much concrete was required to build this Olympic size pool? If building materials are indeed banned how did the building materials get to Gaza? Of course the truth is somewhat at variance with Hamas claims. Israel does let building materials into Gaza indeed in one week in May I read that Israel 'allowed 6 trucks loaded with 250 tons of cement, one truck loaded with 5 tons of iron and 15 trucks loaded with gravels to enter Gaza for building projects operated and executed by UNRWA.' And that's the point Israel allows building materials into Gaza so long as they know the materials are not to be used to build reinforced bunkers from which Hamas activists will be able to continue to fire rockets at Israeli schools and hospitals. One figure that staggered me was that

'Since the ceasefire, well over a million tons of humanitarian supplies entered Gaza from Israel - That's almost a ton of aid for every man woman and child in Gaza.'

The BBC and other media claim that Israel has sealed Gaza off from the outside world. This is a map of Gaza form the BBC website...
Note that both Gaza and Israel are clearly marked. What is not marked is the other country that borders Gaza to its South-West, Egypt. Egypt has a 11km border with Gaza through which as much aid or even trade could pass as Egypt wants. The BBC often claim that Israel 'controls' the crossings into Gaza. If Egypt wanted t open its border to Gaza it could do so but it does nopt want to. The Egyptians know what sort of government is in power in Gaza and what they want to achieve. Hamas and its colleagues in the Muslim Brotherhood want to see the destruction of Israel but their view of Egypt's future is not one that the Egyptian government approve of.

For an interesting view of the history of Gaza can I recommend Wikipedia's entry. There you will discover the truth behind claims of prior Palestinian statehood, Egypt's treatment of Gaza and how Gaza's protests against occupation are only ever aimed at Israel not Egypt. However it is this extract that aught my eye:

'The Palestinian Authority rule of the Gaza Strip and West Bank under the leadership of Arafat suffered from serious mismanagement and corruption scandals. For example, exorbitant bribes were demanded for allowing goods to pass in and out of the Gaza Strip, while heads of the Preventive Security Service apparatus profited from their involvement in the gravel import and cement and construction industries, such as the Great Arab Company for Investment and Development, the al-Motawaset Company, and the al-Sheik Zayid construction project.'