End the Gaza blockade, Hamas tells NAM summit
July 15th, 2009 - 9:10 pm ICT by IANSGaza City/Cairo, July 15 (DPA) Hamas Wednesday called on world leaders gathered in Egypt for the 15th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) to take “all necessary measures” to end the blockade of the Gaza Strip.
Hamas, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007, called on more than 50 world leaders gathered in the Sinai resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh, to “take clear decisions toward ending the siege on the Gaza Strip”.
Israel and Egypt have imposed tight restrictions on the flow of goods and people through the Gaza Strip’s borders since Hamas took control of the territory two years ago.
Delegates should “take all necessary measures to (end the blockade), instead of just issuing statements, full of political rhetoric”, Hamas said in a statement.
In his keynote address to the summit, which has been billed as the largest assembly of nations outside the UN General Assembly, Cuban President Raul Castro reaffirmed the movement’s support for the Palestinian people and “all occupied Arab countries”.
“The movement has not hesitated to condemn Israeli attacks and crimes, and will continue its efforts to regain the rights of the Palestinian people,” Castro told representatives of the 118 countries that make up the NAM.
“What is needed is real action on the ground to empower the steadfastness of the Palestinian people to confront the Zionist occupation and support the legal political rights of our Palestinian people,” Hamas responded in a statement sent to reporters.
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Tags: arab countries, blockade, cuban president, delegates, gaza city, gaza strip, hamas, israeli attacks, keynote address, nam summit, necessary measures, non aligned movement, political rhetoric, raul castro, sharm el, steadfastness, tight restrictions, un general assembly, world leaders, zionist occupation
