Hamas Welcomes European Parliament initiative to end Gaza Siege

22 February 2008

Gaza – Ma'an - Hamas on Friday welcomed a European Parliament initiative to end Israel's crippling blockade on the 1.5 million residents of the Gaza Strip, most of whom are dependent on aid.

Hamas spokesman, Sami Abu Zuhri said he welcomed the resolution, adding that Hamas is ready to study any initiative that will contribute to stopping Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people.

Abu Zuhri told Ma'an that the main problem lies in the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, along with the siege imposed on the people of the Gaza Strip and the ongoing Israeli attacks on the sector.

'We in Hamas appreciate the call by the European Union to end the Israeli siege imposed on the Gaza Strip and their invitation to the Authority of President Mahmoud Abbas for the resumption of dialogue with the Hamas movement,' he said.

On Thursday European Parliament members voted for the resolution, saying 'the policy of isolation of the Gaza Strip has failed at both the political and humanitarian level.'

The MEPs also called for a halt to Israeli military actions that kill or endanger Palestinian civilians, as well as an end to extrajudicial targeted killings.

Israel closed the vital border crossings into the Strip, restricting supplies, after the Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip in June 2007.

Since January Israel has been reducing fuel and electricity supplies, pushing the impoverished coastal sector to the brink of a humanitarian disaster. Israel says this is a legitimate response to rocket fire by Palestinian resistance factions into Israeli border towns."