So much for the supposed siege on Gaza. Hamas apparently has never heard the expression, "beggars can't be choosers" - or perhaps they realize that outsiders have noticed that Palestinians have a comparable or higher living standard of living than many places in the Middle East and they've simpley stopped bothering with the facade. Either way, the new restrictions by the rulers of the Palestinians' coastal strip pretty well put the lie to the notion that Gazans are under siege, except perhaps by their own thuggish and kleptocratic overlords.

Hamas has banned the following Israeli-manufactured items from entering the strip:

- Home and office furniture
- Plastic products
- Tissues, toilet paper,
- Hoses
- Juices, soft drinks
- Chemical products
- Canned beans
- Biscuits, all types of candies
- Packaging materials