KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Malaysia, which chairs the world's largest Islamic bloc, urged the global community Tuesday to make Israel lift its blockade of Gaza strip before it turns into a humanitarian catastrophe.
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who chairs the 57-member Organization of Islamic Conference, condemned the blockade and the closing of all border closings between Israel and Gaza as "inhumane."
"The Palestinians have the right of access to food, fuel and medicine. The inhumane action by the Israelis would make the living conditions of the Palestinian people even more unbearable," Abdullah said in a statement.
The blockade has "exacerbated the already worsening humanitarian crisis in the area and this will cause a humanitarian catastrophe," he warned.
Abdullah also called on the United Nations to hold an open-ended session of the U.N. Security Council so that other countries could participate on the debate on Gaza.
Israeli has already eased the blockade _ imposed in response to a sharp increase in rocket attacks by Palestinian militants _ after Gaza's Hamas government and aid agencies warned of an impending humanitarian crisis.
On Tuesday, Israel delivered fuel for Gaza's only power plant, which provides electricity to about one-third of Gaza's 1.5 million residents. Other areas of Gaza are supplied directly by Israel and Egypt, neither of which cut off service.
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