'Gaza situation at all-time low'

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas agreed to resume peace talks with Israel.

Peroshni Govender
British-based human rights group say the situation in Gaza has reached an all-time low. They say it is now worse than when Israel occupied the coastal territory in 1967.

A report released by the groups says living conditions acutely declined in June last year after Hamas seized control of the Strip. Israel and the international community applied more sanctions. Hospitals are suffering from power cuts and lack equipment for life-saving machines. Israel says that Hamas is to blame.

The report compiled by eight British based human rights groups including Amnesty International paints a grim picture of life in Gaza. About 80% of Gazans now rely on food aid and 40% are unemployed. Hospitals are unable to get life-saving equipment because of the Israeli blockades.

Power shortages mean that hospitals have about a 12 hour supply. Israel's Defence Ministry says the report was misdirected. It says Hamas created the dire conditions.

Abbas persuaded to resume talks
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has concluded her Middle East visit. Rice left the region having persuaded Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to resume negotiations with Israel.

Earlier, Abbas demanded that unless Israel and Hamas called a truce there would be no negotiations. However, he backtracked on the same day that Israel instructed its military to draw up plans that will end rocket fire from Gaza into Israel.

Abbas was protesting Israel's heavy handedness in Gaza that left around 120 people dead in six days of attacks that were internationally condemned.
Israeli and Palestinian negotiating teams are expected to meet later today.

Abbas agreed under heavy pressure from the US to resume peace talks with Israel. He publicly pushed for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas as a pre-condition for continuing talks. He later relented after Rice telephoned him before a news conference where she was to announce that talks were back on track.

Abbas' resumption of talks came on the same day that the Israeli government gave the military the green light to plan harsher offensives that will stop rocket squads in Gaza. Hamas the controllers of Gaza have remained defiant and have continued to fire rockets into southern Israel.