Washington's envoy to the Middle East, back in the region to mediate a new round of indirect Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, Wednesday welcomed Israel's easing of its stringent economic blockade of the Gaza Strip, DPA reported.
"We appreciate the changes that have been made," George Mitchell told reporters while meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.
"There's been a great deal of progress in terms of permitting additional goods into Gaza," he said.
Mitchell arrived late Tuesday for another round of low-profile indirect negotiations, begun earlier this year despite Palestinian reluctance and anger over Israeli construction in annexed East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians want as the capital of their future state.
The envoy met with Israeli officials including Defence Minister Ehud Barak, before scheduled talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah Thursday.
"This is part of an ongoing effort to exchange views and to narrow the gaps between the parties on major issues, with the goal of moving toward direct negotiations as soon as possible," Mitchell told reporters, as - under heavy security - he toured Kerem Shalom, the Israeli-controlled goods crossing with the southern Gaza Strip earlier Wednesday.
Following worldwide criticism and condemnation after Israel forcefully intercepted an international aid flotilla to Gaza, Netanyahu's cabinet last week decided to allow a wider range of goods into Gaza.
For the past three years, only basic goods on a list of little more than 100 items, considered essential to keep Gaza above the bar of a humanitarian crisis, were allowed into Gaza. Under the new cabinet decision, all civilian goods are allowed in, except for certain materials considered a security risk because militants could use them to build rockets or fortifications.
Export from Gaza and the movement of people, however, remains heavily restricted.
Mitchell nonetheless said "these arrangements should significantly improve conditions for Palestinians in Gaza."
"I saw first hand today that progress is being made."
Calling Israeli security concerns "legitimate," he said: "The United States strongly reaffirms Israel's right to self-defence and we support international efforts to prevent the trafficking of arms and ammunition into Gaza."
He also called for the "immediate" release of the Israeli soldier held captive and incommunicado by Hamas at a secret location in Gaza, and called the conditions under which the captive was being held "inhumane."
"We're standing not far from the place where Gilad Shalit was abducted," said the former US senator, who condemned Hamas also for not allowing the International Committee of the Red Cross access to the soldier. "His continued captivity is deplorable and unacceptable We condemn his detention."
Barak, in his talks with Mitchell, said Wednesday he intends meeting Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad in the coming days, also with the aim of nudging the Palestinians toward resuming direct negotiations.
Abbas, however, said earlier this week he was willing to resume direct negotiations only if the gaps on key negotiating issues such as security and borders were narrowed and if Israel submitted "positive answers" to Palestinian proposals on those topics.
Barak did not specify exactly where and when he would meet Fayyad, but said the talks would also focus on security coordination and on a Palestinian boycott of goods produced in Israeli West Bank settlements.