London, England (CNN) -- Oxfam, a UK-based International Aid agency, is calling on EU officials and the Middle East Quartet to pressure Israel into lifting the Israeli blockade of Gaza.
In a press release titled "Gaza needs jobs, not just aid," Oxfam officials warned Monday that Gaza's economy has been nearly demolished by three years of isolation and will continue to degenerate, socially and economically, unless the blockade ends.
Jeremy Hobbs, executive editor of Oxfam International, said that while Israel has allowed an increased number of food items following the flotilla incident May 31 that the gesture is not enough.
"While this is certainly welcomed, what Gaza needs most are jobs, raw materials for reconstruction and for industry, and the ability to export -- not just short-term aid and consumer products like jam that, without a job, they can't afford to buy," said Hobbs.
According to Oxfam, the blockade, which impedes thousands of goods from entering Gaza, has led to a "widescale shut down" of Gaza's economy, crippling industries and leaving thousands jobless. Oxfam claims the blockade is an illegal form of punishment and is contrary to international law.
