GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — The Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported on Jan. 28 that Israel has approved the construction of a waste recycling plant in Gaza at the former site of Gush Katif, the largest Israeli settlements before the 2005 disengagement. The report said that in cooperation with the United Nations and other agencies, the Israeli Coordination and Liaison Administration to the Gaza Strip had recently submitted a proposal to construct a UN-funded recycling facility.
Past calls to resolve Gaza's waste problem had gone unanswered because of a lack of funds or Israel refusing to allow the necessary equipment to enter the Gaza Strip due to their dual-use capabilities. Israel's green light leads one to wonder what has changed.