Israel, on June 18, warned the Lebanese flotilla Miriam, that it would use all necessary means to stop it from reaching the Gaza Strip.

"Israel reserves its right under international law to use all necessary means to prevent these ships from violating the existing naval blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip," Israeli UN Ambassador Gabriela Shalev wrote in a statement.

Israel has accused the organizers of the ships of having links to Hizballah, although the Lebanese group has denied any involvement. On June 18, Hizballah said they would not participate in the aid missions to Gaza in order not to give Israel a pretext to attack Lebanon.

"We in Hezbollah highly value the humanitarian moves to break the siege on Gaza, but since the beginning we have stayed away from such acts not because we are greedy but because we do not want to give the Israeli enemy an excuse to carry out an aggression against Lebanon," a statement by the group said.

The two ships from Lebanon are scheduled to set sail early next week carrying medication for cancer patients. There are an estimated 50 women from various religious denominations from Arab and European countries expected to be on board.

Meanwhile, on June 17, Israel announced it would partially lift its siege off of Gaza, mainly in response to the backlash against it following the deadly raid on the Turkish flotilla last month. According to Israeli officials, the new product list approved by Israel’s security cabinet includes more food items like pasta and sweets, toys, kitchen utensils, stationary and towels.

Israel also said it would allow more construction materials to enter but would not ease its sea blockade on the Strip. Private import of building materials was also prohibited. The decision was met with caution by Palestinians, Arabs and many European leaders. While US President Barack Obama called the Israeli announcement “a step in the right direction” on June 17, European Union foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, said Israel must make sure that "many, many more goods can get in to Gaza."

UN Envoy to the Middle East Tony Blair also said the move was a “good start”. However, Israel remained uncommitted to a timeframe for implementation and the extent to which the actual lifting of restrictions would be carried out. Such concerns were voiced by United Nations spokesman Chris Gunness. “There have been many words in the past," he said. "We need to judge the Israeli authorities by their deeds, not their words."

In his meeting with US special envoy, George Mitchell, President Mahmoud Abbas also said the so-called easing of restrictions was “not enough”, maintaining there cannot be “partial solutions to the blockade.”

Amnesty International official, Malcom Smart was also unimpressed by Israel’s half-hearted gesture. "This announcement makes clear that Israel is not intending to end its collective punishment of Gaza's civilian population, but only ease it," he said on June 18. The easing of the siege did not mention the opening of border crossings, the permission of export, the movement of people or of aid crucial to the rebuilding of a shattered economy, Smart said. “This is not enough.”

On June 13, Arab League Secretary General Amr Mousa made his first visit to the beleaguered, which also marked the first visit by such a high ranking Arab official to Gaza since Hamas took control in 2007. Mousa, who said he wanted to push forward the reconciliation process also said the Arab aid promised to Gaza for its reconstruction could only be fully delivered after the two rival parties reconcile. In this context, Mousa briefed President Abbas on his trip on June 16, saying he still believed there was a “dim light” at the end of the tunnel of Palestinian division.

In the West Bank, the UN Office of Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs said on June 16 that Israel had decreased the number of roadblocks and barricades in the West Bank by 20 percent. While this may be a positive step, the agency noted that most of the removals were in the northern West Bank. Those around Jerusalem had been untouched, with restrictions on the movement of Palestinians in these areas unchanged. According to OCHA, there are currently 505 Israeli checkpoints throughout the West Bank.

On June 14, Israeli forces carried out widespread searches and arrests in the Hebron areas of Dura, Samoua and Al Fawwar refugee camp after armed Palestinians shot and killed an Israeli policeman and wounded two others. The ambush took place at the entrance to the Beit Haggai settlement, just outside of Hebron.

In Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolished three barracks and a garage in the Bustan neighborhood of Silwan on June 15. A total of 88 houses are being threatened with demolition in the neighborhood to make way for an Israeli park.

Also in Jerusalem, the Israeli construction and planning committee announced its ratification of the 1,600 housing units in the east Jerusalem settlement of Ramat Shlomo. The expansion made headlines months ago when it was announced during the visit of US Vice President Joe Biden and caused considerable embarrassment to Israel at the time. Following the ratification, Israeli officials downplayed the announcement saying it was merely “technical” and did not indicate any timeframe for actual implementation.