DHAKA: UN's Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has criticized Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip during a visit to the Palestinian territory.

Ban said that ‘the closure of Gaza suffocates its people, stifles its economy and impedes reconstruction efforts’ on Tuesday.

‘It's a collective punishment for which there must be accountability, he added, Al Jazeera reports on Wednesday (June 29).

He pointed to the electricity shortage in Gaza and the unemployment that hit 50 percent among the coastal enclave's youths.

Ban further said that ‘We must speak openly about the unacceptable hardships faced by the people of Gaza in light of the humiliation, occupation and siege, as well as the division between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank’.

After visiting Gaza on his final trip to Palestine before his term of office expires in December, Ban held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

BDST: 1225 HRS, June 29, 2016
SAS/AKA