Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, said Thursday that the Israeli occupation will not fund a new US-led humanitarian operation in the Gaza Strip, but will facilitate and enable it.

These statements coincide with Hamas Political Bureau member Bassem Naim's assertions that allowing aid into Gaza is the "minimum" requirement for negotiations with Israel, which has imposed a strict blockade on the Strip since early March.

He said, "The minimum for a favorable and constructive negotiating environment is to oblige the government (of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu) to open the crossings and allow the entry of humanitarian, food, and medical aid."