European Union deeply concerned over Israel blockade on Gaza and humanitarian crisis

Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip has stretched the humanitarian situation to breaking point, Issam Younis, a prominent Gaza human rights campaigner, tells swissinfo

The European Union has expressed its "deep concern" at the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, as a six-month truce between Israel and Hamas came to an end.

Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip has stretched the humanitarian situation to breaking point, Issam Younis, a prominent Gaza human rights campaigner trusted by Hamas and Fatah, tells swissinfo.

This "collective punishment" of Gaza civilians must end, says Younis, the director of the Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, while en route through Geneva.

Unable to leave Gaza for the past eight years, Israel finally allowed Younis to visit the German city of Weimar this month to receive its Human Rights Award for his work protecting the rights of Palestinians.

The Islamic Hamas group marked the end of the Egyptian-brokered truce with Israel on Friday by promising new hostilities by its Palestinian resistance factions.

Hamas said Israel had breached the truce by imposing its economic blockade of Gaza and staging military strikes.

Although there was no immediate Israeli comment about Hamas' announcement, the government has expressed interest in prolonging "understandings" with Hamas.

Russia backed the calls by the European Union, appealing for Hamas to rethink its decision to end the truce to avoid renewed suffering among civilians.

swissinfo: What is the situation in Gaza?

Issam Younis: This is the most difficult it has been since 1967. The closure of the Gaza Strip is total and people are not allowed to travel, to come and go. One and a half million people live under siege. The population has no fuel or diesel to run power plants. Electricity is cut off for long periods.

It has become very difficult to obtain basic food and meet the simplest of needs. Eighty per cent of families in Gaza depend on UN agencies, including the UNRWA [the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine]. Unemployment affects 50 per cent of the population and 75 per cent of the population live below the poverty line.

In Gaza, there are four crossing points: one for fuel, one for people, one for trade and one for construction materials. Since 1967, Israelis have made us dependent on their country: everything that arrives and leaves Gaza must transit through these crossing points and 90 per cent of imports come from the Hebrew state.

The humanitarian situation is catastrophic. Even the UN Secretary-General and the High Commissioner for Human Rights have said that Israel must lift the blockade. This is the collective punishment of an entire people. An outright violation of the Geneva Conventions.
swissinfo: What is the political situation?

I.Y.: The international community and Israel want to isolate Hamas. But that affects all of the population and not Hamas, which controls the crossing points. It's a stupid weapon.

Nobody can accept and justify attacks against civilians, but that does not give you the right to place a nation under siege. If you lock a cat up for three days without food and water, as soon as you open the door it will bite you. They are now pushing Gaza beyond this scenario.

For how long can a human being endure such humiliation?
swissinfo: What does Israel want?

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