Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on July 16 proposed a plan to have the Gaza Strip internationally recognized as an unoccupied state, secure European Union cooperation to rebuild the territory and relinquish all Israeli responsibility for the coastal enclave — including lifting the naval blockade on the territory. Lieberman will present his plan to the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton, who on July 16 called on Israel to fundamentally change its Gaza policy prior to a July 17 trip to Israel. Hamas spokesman Sami Abu-Zuhri was quick to condemn the proposal, saying it was an attempt by Israel to evade responsibility for the Gaza Strip and close it off from what Abu-Zuhri referred to as "the rest of the homeland." Lieberman's proposal represents a creative new approach by Israel to achieve previous objectives.