UN demands that Israel lift aid blockade on Gaza Strip

UN aid coordinator Tom Fletcher on Thursday called on Israel to lift a blockade preventing aid from reaching the Gaza Strip that has been in force for almost two months.

"Yes, the hostages must be released, now. They should never have been taken from their families," Fletcher said.

He added: "But international law is unequivocal: As the occupying power, Israel must allow humanitarian support in." Aid should never be a "bargaining chip," Fletcher said.

"Blocking aid starves civilians. It leaves them without basic medical support. It strips them of dignity and hope. It inflicts a cruel collective punishment," Fletcher said.

"To the Israeli authorities, and those who can still reason with them, we say again: lift this brutal blockade. Let humanitarians save lives," the UN coordinator concluded.

Israel has blocked aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip since March 2. More than 2 million people in the sealed-off coastal area remain in desperate need after more than 18 months of war.