A group of 50 international aid and human rights organizations called on Israel Thursday to end its blockade of the Gaza Strip, saying the siege goes against international law.
“For over five years in Gaza, more than 1.6 million people have been under blockade in violation of international law. More than half of these people are children. We the undersigned say with one voice: End the blockade now,” the statement said.
The statement was issued on the fifth anniversary of the takeover of the Strip by the Islamist Hamas, an event that caused Israel to significantly tighten its blockade on the area.
It was signed by, among other groups, Amnesty International, Oxfam, Save the Children, Terre des Homme and several UN organizations, including UNESCO, UNICEF and the World Health Organization.
Israel imposed its blockade in July 2006 after three militant groups staged a cross-border raid and snatched an Israeli soldier, who was held captive and only released last year.
The siege was intensified a year later, when the Gaza Strip came under sole Hamas control.
However, as a result of pressure on Israel following its seizure of a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in 2010, Israel eased the blockade and allowed in materials for civilian projects under international supervision.
Israel maintains the blockade is necessary to prevent weapons from reaching the Gaza Strip. - Sapa-dpa