A delegation of ambassadors to the United States, (Australia, Argentina, Bhutan, Ukraine, Kenya, Guatemala, the Czech Republic, Hungary, the Dominican Republic, and Tonga), has arrived in the Israeli occupation state for a weeklong tour to inspect the situation on the ground. On this occasion, Member of Hamas International Relations Office, Basem Naim, states the following:

We seize this opportunity to invite the delegation of ambassadors to visit the Gaza Strip to closely bear witness to the humanitarian tragedy that resulted from the Israeli occupation blockade for almost fifteen years. This blockade has turned the Gaza Strip into an “unliveable place”, as described by the United Nations, as this siege turned Gaza into the largest open-air prison, reminiscent of the detention camps during World War II, as described by numerous lawmakers and international legal experts.

Moreover, the Israeli blocked on Gaza, which deprives the Palestinians of their basic rights and the right to a decent life, is considered a collective punishment that mounts to a war crime, as per the International Law and the International Humanitarian Law.

The Gaza Strip, which is 365 square kilometers, inhabited by more than two million Palestinians, is one of the most densely populated areas worldwide, which consists of more than 70% of whom are children or youth, lack their right to clean drinking water, electricity, and medicine.

The Israeli blockade has led to more horrific outcomes as well: 80% of the population has an income below the poverty line, 50% suffers from unemployment, and many Gazans, including students, are systematically banned from travel.

Added to the daily suffering of life are the Israeli siege and repeated aggressions on Gaza that worsen the living circumstances of the Gazans.

Last May, the Israeli occupation launched its latest aggression against the Strip that lasted for eleven days, leaving a death toll of  259 Palestinians, among them, were 66 kids and 41 women.

Additionally, the Israeli occupation destroyed a considerable number of civilian buildings and targeted Gaza’s infrastructure. The cost of damage to the Gaza Strip after the 11-day May aggression is half a billion dollars, according to the latest estimates released by the World Bank.

We call on all ambassadors not to be deceived or misled by false claims disseminated by the Israeli occupation. The reality is that the Gaza Strip has been under a racist blockade for decades. During this timeframe, the Israeli occupation has deprived the Gazans of any chance to secure a decent life.

Hamas stresses that the Palestinian people adhere to peace built on justice, and looks forward to the day that freedom, right of return, and independence are fulfilled. Then, the Palestinians can establish their own independent state and actively contribute to the world’s security and prosperity.

Again, we invite the delegation of ambassadors to visit the Gaza Strip and bear witness to the humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip caused by the Israeli siege.

Finally, we reiterate that stability and security in the region cannot be achieved as long as the Palestinian people suffer from the blockade and the occupation.