Barghouthi: IOA measures against Gaza war crime

MP Dr. Mustafa Al-Barghouthi has charged that the Israeli occupation authority”s measures against the Gaza Strip, siege and closure of crossings, constituted a war crime and a blatant violation of the international laws and the Geneva Convention.

The MP also denounced the Israeli occupation forces” detention of Palestinian fishermen and foreign activists off the Gaza coast, describing it as “a kidnapping”.

He said in a press statement on Wednesday that the deteriorating conditions in the Strip herald a humanitarian disaster as the IOA was blocking the entry of fuel, foodstuff and other basic materials into the Strip for more than two weeks.

The IOA has turned Gaza into a big prison and is exercising collective punishment against it, Barghouthi said.

The lawmaker called for an immediate end to the IOA “crimes” against the Palestinian people and urged the world not to treat Israel as a “state above the law”.

Israeli practices aim to torpedo the calm since it no longer served Israeli interests with the approach of general elections, he said, warning of military escalation as the elections approach.

The IOA is exploiting the internal Palestinian division to endorse its agenda especially in separating the West Bank from the Gaza Strip, opining that the only answer to such policies is restoring national unity.