<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[Occupied Palestine | فلسطين]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[https://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[occupiedpalestine]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[https://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com/author/hajarhajar/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[World urges Israel to lift blockade:&nbsp;Gul]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[<p>PressTV | Thu Feb 17, 2011 12:20AM<span id="ctl00_body_spnDetail"></p>
<div id="divNewsDetail"></div>
<p><img src="https://i1.wp.com/previous.presstv.ir/photo/20110217/shamseddin20110217001044217.jpg" alt="" width="450px" height="300px" /></p>
<div id="divImageDesc">Turkish President Abdullah Gul</div>
<div id="divLead">Turkish  President Abdullah Gul says world leaders are urging Israel to lift its  blockade of the Gaza Strip, which has caused a serious humanitarian  crisis there.</div>
<p>“The blockade going on Gaza is not a legitimate one, and all  international organizations and all leaders are urging Israel that these  embargos and blockades should be lifted,” Gul told Press TV in an  exclusive interview.</p>
<p>World leaders &#8220;from President Obama to European leaders &#8212; not only  the Muslim leaders&#8217; side &#8212; [are] calling on Israel to do this,&#8221; he  emphasized.</p>
<p>“So definitely this problem is not the problem of only Palestinians  or not the problem only for the Arabs, it is problem of all Muslims and  all the humanity who really care [about] the violation of human rights  &#8230; Therefore, Turkey is very sensitive in this issue,” Gul said.</p>
<p>The deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza comes years after  June 2007 when Israel and neighboring Egypt shut down Gaza&#8217;s borders and  tightened a siege already in place.</p>
<p>The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees has warned  that years of the Israeli blockade against Gaza have seriously  deteriorated the humanitarian crisis in the impoverished Palestinian  land.</p>
<p>The flagging economy of Gaza has been shattered by the siege and the  22-day Israeli assault at the turn of 2009, which devastated scores of  houses, building and a huge part of the territory&#8217;s infrastructure.</p>
<p>According to the UN figures, the war damaged or destroyed more than  50,000 homes, 800 industrial units, 200 schools as well as 39 mosques  and two churches.</p>
<p>It also left over 1,400 people &#8212; mostly civilians &#8212; dead and tens of thousands more injured.</p>
<p>DB/MRS/MGH<br />
</span> <span id="ctl00_body_spnRelated"></p>
<div class="relatedNewsHeader">Related Stories:</div>
<div class="relatedNewsContent">
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.presstv.ir/detail/165375.html">Iran-Turkey relations &#8216;strategic&#8217;</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.presstv.ir/detail/165355.html">Turkey&#8217;s Gul on Iranian city visit</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.presstv.ir/detail/165324.html">Leader warns of interference in Egypt</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.presstv.ir/detail/165166.html">Iran, Turkey seek $30bn trade ties</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.presstv.ir/detail/165430.html">&#8216;Turkey no military launchpad for US&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p></span></p>
<p><a href="http://www.presstv.ir/detail/165598.html">PressTV &#8211; World urges Israel to lift blockade: Gul</a>.</p>
]]></html><thumbnail_url><![CDATA[https://i1.wp.com/previous.presstv.ir/photo/20110217/shamseddin20110217001044217.jpg?fit=440%2C330]]></thumbnail_url><thumbnail_width><![CDATA[]]></thumbnail_width><thumbnail_height><![CDATA[]]></thumbnail_height></oembed>