The deposed government of Islamic Hamas movement, which ruled the Gaza Strip, surprised fruit dealers and vendors when it suddenly decided to ban the import of Israeli-grown fruits except apples and bananas.

The decision outraged many who considered it a hasty and unstudied decision, especially as the coastal densely populated Gaza Strip doesn't produce many fruits.

Mamdouh Bahtiti, a 55-year-old Gaza fruit vendor, told Xinhua that the Hamas' decision "is wrong and wasn't made in the proper time. The decision was a shock to vendors and will deprive Gaza populations of these fruits."

Bahtiti and dozens of fruits vendors explained that the ban will weaken the Palestinian economy "because there will be no compensation for these losses," adding that "If there is an alternative to some kinds of Israeli fruits, how much would it cost?"

The Gaza Strip has been importing various kinds of summer and winter fruits such as yellow dates, peaches, pears, plums, mangos, pomegranates, kiwifruits, avocados, pineapples, apples, bananas and apricots, while the Gaza Strip only produces Guavas, grapes, figs, citrus and red dates.

"The fruits that the Gaza Strip produces can never be sufficient to the population for more than two months, because it only produces for one limited season of the year, while during the rest of the year the Gaza Strip will remain without any other kinds of fruits," said Bahtiti.

In addition to creating such a crisis by Hamas rule, fruit vendors said this would negatively affect their personal living. " All of us will join the army of unemployed people," said Bahtiti.

According to official figures of international organizations, the poverty rate in the Gaza Strip has reached 60 percent, while the unemployment rate is sometimes over 60 percent. A large portion of agricultural land in the Gaza Strip has been bulldozed by the Israeli army or inhabited by the Palestinians' growing population.

Ihab al-Turok, a 35-year-old fruit dealer, worried that if Hamas bans fruit importation from Israel except apples and bananas, Israel might also bans the export of Israeli apples and bananas to the Gaza Strip in retaliation.

Zaki al-Khatib, a 29-year-old resident, told Xinhua that no one can imagine a market without fruits, regardless of the fruits' producing area. To him, "Fruits ornament the market and attract customers."

"Fruits improve people's health, especially children. Banning them is a totally wrong decision," al-Khatib said. "Any decision- making must consider the population's major needs, as there will be later side effects. Making such a decision won't serve the people's interests."

Tahsin al-Saqqa, director of marketing in the Hamas-run ministry of agriculture, told Xinhua that the decision became valid on Sunday, with the aim of defending local produce, for " over the past six years, Gaza farmers and vendors were not able to market their products abroad."

"Why should we encourage the Israeli products and allow them in Gaza while the Israeli occupation doesn't allow us to export our products?" said al-Saqqa.

It is the first time ever that the Gaza Strip decided not to import agricultural products from Israel. According to al-Saqqa, Gaza imports 30 tons of fruits per year with a cost of 15 million U.S. dollars.

Israel has been imposing a tight blockade on the Gaza Strip right after Hamas violently seized control of the coastal enclave in June 2007. In June 2010, Israel eased the blockade following the Israeli naval commandos' attack on the Gaza-bound aids flotilla, during which nine Turkish activists were killed.

Walid Assaf, the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) minister of agriculture, told Xinhua that the Hamas decision is based on " personal interests to achieve more profits and monopolize local market in Gaza," adding that "if there is no alternative to these fruits, why does Hamas ban importing it?"

Mo'een Rajab, professor of economy at al-Azhar University in Gaza, told Xinhua that "the decision of Hamas rule to ban the import of Israeli fruits could be right but only in case that the local products are filling the markets."

"This measure is hard to be implemented in the Gaza Strip due to difficult economical and political conditions," Rajab said. "We haven't yet reached the extent of self-sufficiency and I believe that such a decision would harm residents amid the ongoing economic hardship."

Rajab urged the deposed government of Hamas to find a fair solution to every side without "causing any harm to anyone."