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Israel has refused to allow German Development Aid Minister Dirk Niebel to visit the besieged Gaza Strip in order to inspect a sewage plant financed by Germany.

A German ministry spokesman, objecting to the Israeli move, said later on Saturday that talks over Niebel's visit to the Palestinian areas were still underway.

"Sometimes the Israeli government does not make it easy for its friends to explain why it behaves the way it does," Niebel told the German ZDF TV network program "heute" (today).

He further added that Israel's latest announcement on easing the Gaza siege was "not sufficient" and that Tel Aviv must "now deliver" on its pledge.

Beyond that, Israel should be "clear" about how, within an international context, it wants to "cooperate with its friends in the future as well," the German minister of the liberal Free Democratic Party said.