The Guardian reports that Blair has said that Israel must lift the blockade on Gaza. What I heard him say on Sky News was that Israel should allow more aid into Gaza. Not the same thing. Was the Guardian reporting a different interview, or were they misquoting?
I heard that Blair's priority was to "stop the violence coming from Gaza", which was the kind of thing I was expecting from him. He didn't let me down.
It turns out that the whole visit was a photo oppportunity, doubtless arranged by Tel Aviv in an attempt to give their creature some credibility on the world stage. He spent just an hour outside of his comfort zone, just inside the border at a place that was relatively unscathed by the blitzkrieg. He didn't meet any representative of the elected government, of course (verboten). He didn't meet any individual shorn of a limb or two. He didn't meet anyone grieving for slaughtered children. But the TV cameras recorded him in Gaza.
What of the remark about Israel easing the blockade? Did he stray from the script?

I imagine a discussion in Tel Aviv -
Tony: This remark about the blockade, do you really want me to say this?
Mark Regev: Yes, it's to show that you are your own man.
Tony: (gulps) My own man - er - I don't know if I can pull that one off. Can't you fix me up with an earpiece?
Regev: (sotto voce) Oy vay! Why didn't we hold out for Bill Clinton?

The other Clinton has promised $600 million to try to rehabilitate Israel's kapo on the West Bank, Abu Sallama. The people of Gaza will only get a sniff of this if they oust their preferred representatives and embrace the collaborator - some choice.