United Nations Calls For Ending Humanitarian Crisis In Gaza

February 27, 2008 6:27 a.m. EST

Cairo, Egypt (AHN) - The United Nations called on Israel, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority on Tuesday to create a new strategy to end the conflict and economic crisis gripping the Gaza Strip. The UN said that parties to the Israeli-Palestinian crisis to actively pursue "a positive strategy" that will end attacks on Israelis and meet Gaza's humanitarian needs.

"Egypt's efforts along the border and diplomatically to find durable solutions to this crisis are to be commended," the UN special envoy for the Middle East peace process Robert Serry told the Security Council in a public meeting. "The quartet has also stated publicly its strong support for the proposal of the Palestinian Authority to resume operations at the crossings."

Gaza has been stuck in an economic crisis since Israel implemented a blockade on the small Mediterranean strip of land in response to continued rocket attacks. In response, Palestinian militants blew a hole in the border wall between Egypt and Gaza in order to allow Gazans to enter the Sinai Peninsula.

Hundreds of thousands of Gaza's 1.4 million inhabitants flocked to Egypt in order to stock up on essential supplies void in Gaza as a result of the Israeli blockade.

In recent weeks, Israel has said it is preparing a large scale military operation into Gaza in order to remove Hamas from power, which has heightened already tense relations between Israelis and Palestinians.