Gaza Reconstruction Requires Lifting of the Israeli Blockade

On Tuesday, European Union (EU) Representative to Palestine Sven Kuehn von Burgsdorff called on Israel to end the blockade, which has been imposed on the Gaza Strip for 15 years, to facilitate the process of reconstruction of the city.

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The Gaza reconstruction "needs to lift the blockade to enable the populations to move freely and have a free trade," he said at a news conference near the ruins of al-Jalla high rise, which was bombed and destroyed two weeks ago.

"The EU supports the efforts of reconstruction in Gaza," Burgsdorff pointed out, adding that "Israel should end the blockade and reopen the crossing points and give the populations a free access of movement."

From May 10 to 21, Israel carried out indiscriminate bombings in Gaza arguing that it was attacking positions of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).

Egypt brokered a ceasefire that ended the fighting between the two sides, which left more than 250 Palestinians as well as the destruction of infrastructure in the Gaza Strip.

"It is necessary to stabilize the ceasefire between the two sides," Burgsdorff stressed and called on Israel to allow holding Palestinian elections in East Jerusalem.

In the past, however, despite multiple calls from the international community, Israel has maintained its blockade on the Palestinian territories arguing that "the closure is needed to keep Hamas from rearming," outlet Al-Awsat recalled.