VOA标准英语2008年-Israel Increases Flow of Supplies to Gaza as Tr

Israel has begun easing its blockade of the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip under a truce¹ agreement reached last week. But further progress could be linked to the fate of a captive Israeli soldier, as we hear from Robert Berger at the VOA bureau in Jerusalem.
　
Palestinian and Israeli workers unload goods from Israeli trucks at the Sufa crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip, 22 Jun 2008

Israel is increasing the flow of supplies into Gaza as an Egyptian-mediated truce that began last Thursday holds.

About 90 trucks of food and other supplies were sent across the border on Sunday, up from a daily average of 60 to 70 before the ceasefire. The shipments include milk, fruit and vegetables. Other goods like cement, which has been banned under Israel's crippling blockade of Gaza, are supposed to be allowed in next week.

Israeli spokesman Mark Regev.

"If the quiet is sustainable, and I hope it will be, then in the coming days you will see the gradual easing of the sanctions on the Gaza Strip," said Israeli spokesman Mark Regev.

Israel imposed crippling sanctions on Gaza after the Islamic militant² group Hamas seized control of the territory in a civil war with the rival and more moderate Fatah faction³ a year ago. Hamas refuses to renounce⁴ violence or recognize Israel.

Regev says there will not be open borders until Hamas releases Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, kidnapped from his base near Gaza two years ago.

"Hamas has to know that we will not get anywhere close to normalization⁵ on the crossings as long as Gilad Shalit is being held hostage," he said.

Senior Hamas official Mahmoud al-Zahar says the Palestinians are ready to discuss new proposals with regard to Shalit.

Al-Zahar told Israel Radio that Hamas would consider changes in the list of 375 Palestinian prisoners it wants Israel to free in exchange for Shalit. Israel has agreed to release only 70. It is refusing to free top militants⁶ responsible for deadly suicide bombings.

Meanwhile, Shalit's parents have petitioned Israel's Supreme⁷ Court to block the reopening of Gaza border crossings as long as their son remains⁸ in captivity⁹. They fear that if Israel eases the blockade, Hamas will have no incentive¹⁰ to release their son.

1 truce   

n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束

参考例句：

• The hot weather gave the old man a truce from rheumatism.热天使这位老人暂时免受风湿病之苦。
• She had thought of flying out to breathe the fresh air in an interval of truce.她想跑出去呼吸一下休战期间的新鲜空气。

2 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

3 faction   

n.宗派，小集团；派别；派系斗争

参考例句：

• Faction and self-interest appear to be the norm.派系之争和自私自利看来非常普遍。
• I now understood clearly that I was caught between the king and the Bunam's faction.我现在完全明白自己已陷入困境，在国王与布纳姆集团之间左右为难。

4 renounce   

v.放弃；拒绝承认，宣布与…断绝关系

参考例句：

• She decided to renounce the world and enter a convent.她决定弃绝尘世去当修女。
• It was painful for him to renounce his son.宣布与儿子脱离关系对他来说是很痛苦的。

5 normalization   

n.（normalisation）正常化，标准化

参考例句：

• The visit signalled the normalization of relations between the two countries.这次访问显示两国关系已经正常化。
• He was pleased to the normalization of relationship between the police and the people.他很高兴警方和人民之间关系的正常化。

6 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

7 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

8 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

9 captivity   

n.囚禁；被俘；束缚

参考例句：

• A zoo is a place where live animals are kept in captivity for the public to see.动物园是圈养动物以供公众观看的场所。
• He was held in captivity for three years.他被囚禁叁年。

10 incentive   

n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机

参考例句：

• Money is still a major incentive in most occupations.在许多职业中，钱仍是主要的鼓励因素。
• He hasn't much incentive to work hard.他没有努力工作的动机。