The Israeli occupation has been disturbing the lives of citizens in the Gaza Strip, throughout its 15-year siege, until this time, the children´s favorite chocolate.
The Israeli occupation authorities confiscated tons of chocolate bars, which were on their way to Gaza, claiming that they were to be used to support the Islamic Resistance Movement "Hamas". The Hebrew newspaper "Israel Today" reported today, Tuesday (17 August), that Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz signed an order to confiscate 23 tons of chocolate bars that were on their way to Gaza. He claimed that the decision came after a "suspicious activity" (he did not specify what it was) to import food products (chocolate bars) as a means of transferring money to "Hamas" in the Gaza Strip, without giving further details. Chocolate factories in Gaza - part of which is located in the "Al-Mentar" area near the border with the 48th lands - depend on raw materials and ingredients imported from the occupied interior or from other countries of the world, and the same applies to chocolate manufactured as products. It is noteworthy that the Israeli blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip since 2006 has caused catastrophic economic and living crises and repercussions on the residents of the Strip, and on children in particular, who constitute more than 48 percent. The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor indicates that about 50 percent of Gaza´s children need psychological support, with food insecurity rates reaching between 50 and 60 percent due to the difficult economic conditions. According to European reports, 40 percent of the Gaza Strip´s two million residents are below the poverty line, while 80 percent of them receive relief aid as a result of the Israeli blockade.
