EU diplomats demand Israel to lift Gaza blockade

(AhlulBayt News Agency) - More than 20 senior European diplomats on Tuesday visited Gaza and demanded that Israel end its naval blockade on the coastal enclave.

Ambassadors from 22 European Union states visited to assess the state of Gaza's reconstruction in a trip organized and led by the EU.

It was the first such delegation since late 2014, which took place after that summer's war with Israel.

Ralph Tarraf, head of the EU delegation, called on Israel to end the blockade on Gaza, saying the Jewish state should take "steps to bring about a political, security and economic change."

He said all sides should work towards "ending the closure, taking into account the legitimate security concerns of the Gaza Strip's neighbors."

Israel imposed a naval blockade on Gaza in 2006.

UN officials argue that such actions are collective punishment and have repeatedly called for the blockade to be eased or lifted.

The EU provides around $330,000 million (300 million euros) to the Palestinian Authority annually, with almost half of this going to Gaza, a spokesman said Tuesday.

Tel Aviv has waged three wars on the coastal enclave since 2008, including the 2014 offensive, which left more than 2,200 Palestinians dead.

Back in September, the World Bank published a gloomy report on the Palestinian economy, criticizing the Israeli restrictive measures as an impediment to Palestine’s financial growth.

According to the report, only 10.7 percent of the 11,000 houses that were totally destroyed during the Israeli war had so far been rebuilt while about 50 percent of homes partially and severely damaged are still awaiting repair.



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