UN: GAZA BLOCKADE A SIEGE IN FULL FURY
A UN special investigator on human rights says Israel's blockade of Gaza Strip is a massive violation of international humanitarian law.
Professor Richard Falk says Israel is allowing in barely enough food to avoid famine and disease, ABC reported.
Falk defined the continuing Gaza blockade as 'a siege in full fury', adding that Israeli regime's collective punishment of Palestinians is tantamount to crime against humanity.
The UN rapporteur moreover advised the International Criminal Court (ICC) to charge Israeli authorities with frequent violation of international criminal law.
Gaza has been faced with a humanitarian crisis ever since Israel imposed a blockade on the coastal strip in June 2007.
An estimated 70 percent of Gaza has experienced lengthy power outages as Tel Aviv cut off fuel supplies to the strip's only power plant. Hospitals must rely on generators to keep life-saving equipment running.
More than 1.5 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip currently are suffering due to a shortage of basic supplies including food and medicine. The region is facing a wide-spread blackout and the lives hundreds of patients are at stake.
There was no immediate comment by Israel on Falk's remarks. Tel Aviv has previously discharged the UN rapporteur's statements and described them as offensive.
MP/MMN