STRASBOURG (EJP)---European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton will visit Israel and the Gaza Strip on July 17 and 18, her spokesman confirmed.

In a speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on the creation of the European External Action Service, Ashton said that she intended to return to the Middle East, adding: "And I will visit Gaza again."

"Indications from Israeli authorities are positive regarding her desire to revisit Gaza following her first trip there on March 18,” Ashton’s spokesman said.

Ashton wants to assess the situation "on the ground for herself," he said.

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman last month invited his Italian counterpart Franco Frattini to lead an EU delegation to the Gaza Strip.

Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, and French and German counterparts Bernard Kouchner and Guido Westerwelle will take part in the trip.

But Ashton's trip would be separate from this ministerial mission.

Israel has given the go-ahead for the international community to import construction materials into Gaza, which is controlled by the Islamist Hamas group.

The new Israeli policy came in response to mounting international pressure on Israel to ease its four-year blockade on Gaza after the 31 May operation against a flotilla, of international activists trying to bust the blockade.

On Monday, Ashton welcomed Israel's decision to ease its blockade, saying it was "another significant step forward in the review of its policy on Gaza."

"Today's announcement by the Government of Israel is another significant step forward in the review of its policy on Gaza. As I have always said, once implemented, Israel's new policy should improve the lives of the ordinary people of Gaza while addressing the legitimate security concerns of Israel.

“While the details of the lists will have to be carefully examined, I hope that the complete implementation of these measures will allow for the reconstruction of Gaza and the revival of its economy,” she said.

The Israeli government has published a list of construction materials to be allowed entry into Gaza but only for projects approved by the Palestinian Authority and implemented and supervised by the international community.

"The details of the lists will have to be carefully examined," Ashton said, adding that she hoped "the complete implementation of these measures will allow for the reconstruction of Gaza and the revival of its economy."

"The movement of persons and trade between Gaza and the West Bank should remain one of the key objectives," she insisted.

Ashton also said the EU was "ready to support Israel and the Palestinian Authority in the opening of land crossings," and said Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit "must be released immediately."