By Xinhua
Damascus : Syria called on Monday for a lift of the Israeli siege against Gaza, warning against a humanitarian tragedy due to what it called the Israeli violations of the simplest human rights norms.
In a statement, a Foreign Ministry source condemned Israel for perpetrating “the massacre” and imposing the suffocating siege in Gaza, according to the official SANA news agency.
“The talk about a Palestinian-Israeli peace process is quitecontrary to giving a green light for more aggression and siege,” the source was quoted as saying.
The source added that “the Palestinian issue is currently passing through an unprecedented and dangerous development which requires the Palestinians to return to a national unity.”
“Syria believes… that the lifting of the blockade being imposed on the Palestinian people is an Arab and international responsibility and that it requires immediate intervention to halt these collective punishments and crimes by Israel,” the source said.
The main power station that supplies Gaza electricity completely stopped on Sunday night due to fuel shortage. Israel on Thursday decided to tightened a closure that has been imposed on Gaza since mid June, when Hamas took control of the coastal strip. All crossings leading to Gaza have been closed down.
Since Thursday, Israel has been barring fuels and basic food products from reaching the Gaza Strip, in retaliation to ongoing makeshift rocket attacks carried out by Palestinian militants from Gaza against Israel.
In addition, at least 37 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its offensive on Gaza on Tuesday.