EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said the bloc is encouraged by Israel's announcement that it would relax its blockade of Gaza to allow in all civilian goods, calling it a positive step forward.
"I am very encouraged by the announcement of the Government of Israel," Ashton was quoted as saying in a statement released by her office. "It represents a significant improvement and a positive step forward."
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Her comments came after Israel on Sunday said it would allow all strictly "civilian" goods into the Gaza Strip while preventing weapons and certain dual-use items from entering the Hamas-run Palestinian enclave.
The new policy is a response to mounting calls to ease Israel's four-year siege on the coastal enclave after Israeli forces killed nine activists during a May 31 raid on a flotilla of aid ships attempting to run the blockade.
Israel's decision to ease the blockade was first made public on Thursday but more detail was given on Sunday by government spokesman Mark Regev.It was not clear whether the partial ending of the blockade would allow for exports from Gaza, which have throttled the economy.
Ashton reiterated the EU's view that the situation in Gaza remains unsustainable and the blockade is counterproductive, hurts ordinary people, prevents reconstruction and fuels radicalism.
"We need to enable people to reconstruct their homes, to build schools, to improve infrastructure, allowing business to revive so that people in Gaza can get on with their ordinary lives," she added.
Israel maintains that the blockade - imposed after one of its soldiers was seized by Gaza militants in a deadly June 2006 raid and tightened a year later when the Islamist Hamas took over - is needed to ensure its security.
Ashton called for the immediate release of the soldier, Gilad Shalit.
