Fifty members of Congress have sent US President Barack Obama a letter urging him to work for lifting the years-long Israeli blockade on Gaza Strip and the consequent enormous suffering of its nearly 1.5 million people.
"This crisis has devastated livelihoods, entrenched a poverty rate of over 70%, increased dependence on erratic international aid, allowed the deterioration of public infrastructure, and led to the marked decline of the accessibility of essential services."
Israel has clamped a siege on the Palestinian coastal enclave since its arch-foe Hamas was voted to power in the 2006 legislative elections. It further tightened the blockade after Hamas assumed full control of the Strip in 2007.
Israel blocks humanitarian aid, including harmless goods such as cheeses, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap and toilet papers. "The current blockade has severely impeded the ability of aid agencies to do their work to relieve suffering," said the Congressmen.
Amnesty International said in a report earlier this month that the Israeli siege, which blocks basic humanitarian aid, was "suffocating" the civilian population.
The letter, dated January 21, was co-spearheaded by Democratic Representative Keith Ellison of Minnesota, a Muslim, and Democratic Congressman Jim McDermott. It was signed by 48 more Congressmen from 22 US states, informs IslamOnline.net.
A number of supporting religious groups and denominations, including Jewish and Christian ones, have also signed on to the letter.
Aid Diplomacy
The signatories called upon the Obama administration to exert diplomatic pressure to end the "de facto collective punishment" of Gazans.
The siege leaves the people of the impoverished Palestinian territory cut off from the outside world and struggling with desperate poverty.
Congressmen noted that the sufferings have enormously aggravated since Israel's Operation Cast Lead, in which nearly some 1,400 Palestinians were killed and 20,000 homes destroyed.
With Israel blocking construction materials needed for rebuilding, thousands of civilians are forced to take shelters in makeshifts tents. "Winter is arriving and the needs of the people grow ever more pressing."
The American lawmakers urged Obama to advocate for Gazans to get basics services such as clean water, food, medicine, sanitation supplies and construction materials.
"The unabated suffering of Gaza civilians highlights the urgency of reaching a resolution to the Israeli- Palestinian conflict," they said.
"We ask you to press for immediate relief for the citizens of Gaza as an urgent component of your broader Middle East peace effort."
They insist that by working for lifting the blockage, Obama would be proving that his administration is sincerely working for achieving Middle East peace.
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