June 2012 marks the fifth year of Israel’s closure – by land, air and sea – of the Gaza Strip. The closure, also widely referred to as a ‘blockade’, has had a major impact on all aspects of the lives of the 1.6 million Palestinians living in Gaza. It severely restricts their freedom of movement and trade, and violates their basic human rights, including the right to life, health, education, food, water, standard of living, and adequate housing.
The government of Israel contends that the closure of the Gaza Strip forms part of a policy of legitimate ‘economic warfare’ against the authorities in Gaza. International law is unequivocal however: the closure constitutes a form of collective punishment of the entire civilian population of Gaza and is in clear violation of international humanitarian law.
Full Statement
http://www.alhaq.org/advocacy/topics/gaza/588-five-years-into-the-illegal-closure-of-the-gaza-strip
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