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The article focuses on Israel's historical defiance of international organizations, highlighted by David Ben-Gurion's dismissal of the United Nations as "Um-Shmum," and the current condemnation Israel faces in global forums like the U.N. and the International Court of Justice.

JERUSALEM -- Bowing to worldwide pressure and condemnation, Israel on Sunday formally announced an eased blockade of Gaza that could significantly expand the flow of goods overland into the impoverished coastal Palestinian enclave, isolated by the Israelis for three years. The announcement, made by the prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, came three weeks after a deadly Israeli naval commando raid that thwarted a breach of the blockade by a flotilla of pro-Palestinian aid activists. That raid outraged much of the world and became a catalyst for a serious re-examination by Israel of its policy toward Gaza, which is governed by the militant anti-Israeli group Hamas and is home to 1.5 million Palestinians. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Israel sought on Wednesday to fend off growing international pressure over civilian casualties from its military assault on Gaza, saying it would expedite and increase humanitarian aid and work with its allies to build a durable, long-term truce. But Israel would not agree to a proposed 48-hour cease-fire. The government said it would push ahead with its air, sea and ultimately ground operation, which one senior military official described as ''making Hamas lose their will or lose their weapons.'' [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]