International NGOs accuse Israel of hindering their activities in West Bank

Several international organizations are accusing Israel of hindering their humanitarian activities they are trying to discharge in the West Bank.

Anera (the American Near East Refugee Aid) and thirty other organizations, including Care International, Oxfam and Doctors without Borders, have asked Israel to authorize their employees in the territories to bring assistance to Palestinians in the West Bank.

In a press conference, the ANERA representative, Tom Teu, warned that the humanitarian situation is tragic.

The NGOs also appealed to the international community to place pressure on the Israeli government so that the humanitarian assistance could be channeled without restrictions and in conformity with the international law.

They complained that their activities are often hampered by excessive and unjustified delays at the check-points and sometimes they are denied access to the sites that need urgent aid. Local and international teams are also facing restrictions and harrassment, they complained.

The Israeli opposition leader, Yossi Sarid, on Thursday warned US president George Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon that starving a civil population is a crime against humanity.

About 549,000 Palestinians have lost their jobs as a result of re-occupation of the West Bank cities while unemployment rate has reached 48% in the Gaza strip and 67% in the West Bank, said Palestinian labor minister, Ghassan al-Khatib.