The Palestinian demonstrators also protested against 12 years of an Israeli blockade that had been imposed on the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the internal division in mid-2007.
The Union of Agriculture Committees, a left-wing non-governmental group, organized the demonstration. Protesters marched on Gaza city streets, waved Palestinian flags, and called for ending the division and the blockade.
Dozens of protesters gathered at the square of the Unknown Soldier in Gaza city`s downtown, in front of the building of the Hamas-controlled parliament, better known as the Legislative Council.
Sa`duldin Zeyada, the committees` coordinator, told reporters at the rally that the demonstrators "call on the international community to stop its silence and declare Israel as a state that commits crimes against Gaza."
He added that "both Israeli blockade and internal division had left humanitarian tragedies for 2 million people in the Gaza Strip."
The Israeli blockade and the internal Palestinian division, which isolated the Gaza Strip from the entire Palestinian territories, had caused high rates of poverty and unemployment.
Ali el-Hayek, chairman of Gaza Businessmen Association, who also joined the rally, told reporters that over the past 12 years, the Gaza Strip has been passing through real economical and humanitarian crises.
"More than 90 percent of merchants and businessmen have become unable to invest in the Gaza Strip or carry out any economic activity," said el-Hayek.
(U.C003)
Reporter: Antara/Xinhua-OANA
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
