Houses destroyed by the Israeli army in East Jablia, Gaza, during its offensive in January 2009. (Erica Silverman, IRIN)

A new report by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) paints a grim picture of life in the Gaza Strip: insufficient housing, damaged infrastructure, limited access to clean water and the discharge of raw sewage into the sea.

The report identifies restrictions on the movement of people and goods over the past two years as one of the main causes of the crisis in Gaza.

"Israel has the right to protect its population against attacks," Antoine Grand, head of the ICRC's sub-delegation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), said in a statement. "But does that mean that 1.5 million people in Gaza do not have the right to live a normal life?"

IRIN has collected some statistics comparing Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (The West Bank and Gaza Strip combined) that can put the ICRC report in context.



© 2009 IRIN [This article does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations or its agencies.]