The Norwegian Refugee Council calls for an end to hostilities in Gaza for the good of the population

MADRID, 7 Ago. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has made an urgent request this Sunday to Israel and Islamic Jihad to negotiate an immediate ceasefire after three days of hostilities that have cost the lives of 29 Palestinians, including several children, and injured at least three Israelis.

The NRC's regional director for the Middle East, Carsten Hansen, has lamented that "every escalation of violence in Gaza occurs at the expense of ordinary people, who pay the highest price for military action."

"We urge all parties to protect civilians by all means, end hostilities and work for an immediate ceasefire," he added.

Hansen recalled that many Gazans, including children, are still traumatized by last year's conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, and this occasion's hostilities have begun after five days of Israeli blockades that have prevented the entry of fuel and other goods.

The NRC recalls that because of this the only power plant in Gaza has stopped working and that the population of the Palestinian enclave now only has four hours of daily supply

"The repeated cycles of violence only further entrench the conflict, without addressing its root causes, including the lifting of Israel's 15-year blockade on Gaza and the end of its occupation of Palestinians," Hansen concluded.