Gaza factions call for building a seaport

Several Palestinian political powers and factions, including the Hamas movement, Thursday called for building a seaport for the Gaza Strip to defy more than eight years of an Israeli blockade.

The groups, in a joint statement delivered during a rally at Gaza fishermen dock, said building a seaport for the Gaza Strip "doesn't contradict with the international law of freedom of peoples' movement", Xinhua news agency reported.

The Gaza-based committee to defy the Israeli siege had earlier presented an initiative of inaugurating a seaport for the Gaza Strip to defy eight years of an Israeli blockade imposed on the coastal enclave.

The factions announced Thursday that they were planning in coordination with the committee to defy the siege, to arrange "a sea trip within the coming two months to be the first sea trip that departs from Gaza seaport".

The statement said that patients, students and other humanitarian cases will be on board the ships that would symbolically sail from Gaza. The political factions called on all other countries to receive the passengers.

"The current siege that has been imposed on the Gaza Strip and its populations is a war crime against humanity," said the statement, which warned a possible explosion in Gaza will happen if restrictions are still imposed.

One of the major demands of the Gaza militant groups to end last summer's Israeli offensive was to build up a seaport and an airport for the Gaza Strip. However, talks on these two demands are stalled.

"Opening a seaport for the Gaza Strip is a due that was included in the last ceasefire agreement brokered by Egypt. The Israeli occupation has to be committed to this demand," said the statement.