Date: 03 / 07 / 2009  Time:  20:34
Gaza – Ma’an –

The Gaza-based Popular Committee Against the Siege called for more aid ships to attempt voyages to the Strip, according to a statement on Friday.

The Popular Committee, along with the Free Gaza Movement, urged the international community to condemn Israeli actions taken against solidarity groups and to attempt more siege-breaking missions toward Gaza.

The spokesperson of the committee, Ali Al-Nuzali, condemned "terrorism and violence carried out by the occupation state of Israel against these unarmed solidarity activists," who were on Tuesday arrested en route to Gaza from Cyprus.

The activists were bringing "a humanitarian message, and were carrying aid to the besieged Palestinians," he added, insisting that Israel's actions against the vessel "would make people more determined to challenge the occupation."

Al-Nuzali also praised the Free Gaza Movement and other solidarity activists, describing them as brave for attempting their journey, "despite threats they received before and after sending the ship to Gaza."

The official concluded by urging the international community to take responsibility and recognize that Palestinians in Gaza are facing a humanitarian disaster, "in violation of all civil and political rights."

Meanwhile a top United Nations official, Special Rapporteur for human rights in the Palestinian territories Richard Falk, denounced Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip,

In a statement on Friday, Falk pointed to a recent report on the impact on health resulting from the two-year blockade, issued by the Red Cross, stressing that Israeli actions not only restrict food, medicine, and fuel to bare subsistence levels but has, in unprecedented fashion, disallowed the entry to Gaza of building materials and spare parts needed for repairing some of the widespread damage caused by its attacks on the Strip last winter.

"Such a pattern of continuing blockade under these conditions amounts to such a serious violation of the Geneva Conventions as to constitute a continuing crime against humanity," the independent human rights expert added.

He also denounced what he called the unlawful naval seizure by an Israeli gunboat on Tuesday of the Free Gaza vessel that was carrying medicine and reconstruction material to the blockaded people of Gaza.

"This Israeli action implements its cruel blockade of the entire Palestinian population of Gaza, in violation of Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention that prohibits any form of collective punishment directed at an occupied people," Falk said.