GAZA, September 25, 2011 (WAFA) - Al-Mezan center for Human Rights Sunday said that the total number of victims who died while working in the smuggling tunnels in Rafah, south of the Gaza strip, has increased since 2006 to reach197 Palestinians, including 10 children.
It strongly condemned the continuous Israeli blockade on Gaza, stressing that the continuation of the blockade and its negative effects lead to an enormous rise of the unemployment and poverty phenomena as well in pushing Palestinians toward digging tunnels as an alternative to the closed crossings, which forced a large scale of Palestinians to work in the tunnels as a way to provide sources of livelihood.
The center called upon the international community to uphold its legal and ethic responsibilities, take the necessary measures to lift of the siege imposed on Gaza and to work on insuring the protection of Palestinians’ rights to freedom of movement of people and goods.
T.R./F.R.
