Monday June 14, 2010
Growing Calls to Lift the Gaza Blockade
The European Union (EU) called on Israel today to immediately lift the
siege on Gaza, deeming the policy “unacceptable.” The EU Foreign Affairs
Committee stated that opening Gaza’s crossings for the flow of
humanitarian aid should be “immediate, sustained and unconditional.” The
EU also condemned the use of violence during Israel’s deadly raid on
the humanitarian flotilla that was headed to Gaza two weeks ago, and
called for “credible international participation” in the investigation
in order to acquire to confidence of the international community.
As it does only in rare and urgent cases, the International Committee of
the Red Cross (ICRC) departed from its
typically neutral political stance today by also calling on Israel to lift the blockade, describing
the situation in Gaza as “dire,” and the blockade as a “clear violation
of Israel’s obligations under international humanitarian law.”
For the full EU statement, click
here (PDF).
For the full ICRC statement, click
here (PDF).
Tagged as Issues, Palestine, Gaza, Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
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