World Bulletin / News Desk

Islamic Hamas movement Thursday urged Egypt to reopen Rafah border crossing point with the Gaza Strip following a UN Human Rights report saying the blockade on Gaza is a crime.

"After the UN report that the siege imposed on Gaza is a war crime, it became unjustified to keep Rafah border crossing with Gaza closed down," Hamas spokesman in Gaza Fawzi Barhoum said in a statement, reported Xinhua.

A United Nations Human Rights report, which was recently issued, called on Israel to ease the blockade to save 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza Strip. The report said the tight blockade is a war crime.

He added that following the UN report, "it became unaccepted that the Arabs don't take a serious and practical decision to end the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip by using all kinds of pressuring papers on the Zionist occupation."

"If the United Nations says that the tight siege on Gaza Strip is a war crime, why Egypt and the Arabs don't pressure on the occupation and force Israel to reopen at least Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt?" said Barhoum.

A United Nations Human Rights report, which was recently issued, called on Israel to ease the blockade to save 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza Strip. The report said the tight blockade is a war crime.

Israel tightened its blockade of Gaza a year ago after Hamas seized the territory from secular Fatah forces loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas.

It has tightened the closure further since a deadly raid by its forces on Nov.4, followed by a surge in rocket attacks by Gaza fighters. The border closings have increased hardships for many of Gaza's 1.5 million residents.

The United Nations and human rights groups have voiced concern about the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and called on Israel to lift its blockade.

Israel has prevented humanitarian aids from different countries beside its heavy blockade over Gaza.

The Israeli navy blocked a Libyan ship which Palestinian and Libyan officials was trying to deliver 3,000 tonnes of food, medicine and other aid to the Gaza Strip.

Since August, activists have made three trips from Cyprus.

Israel closed border crossings to Gaza although it has to lift siege according to the truce with Hamas.

Roughly half of Gaza's 1.5 million people are running out of the aid supplies they depend on.

The United Nations says a crisis could quickly develop.

Basic medical equipment could not be properly repaired, forcing some patients to turn to expensive private clinics.