Group of European leaders demands Israel lift Gaza blockade

A statement issued by the leaders of Spain, Norway, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, and Slovenia on Friday is demanding that Israel lift its total blockade of Gaza, which was imposed in early March.

"We call on the Israeli government to immediately reverse its current policy and fully lift the blockade on Gaza," the statement read. "We will not remain silent in the face of the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding before our eyes."

The group also said it condemned "the increasing Israeli escalation in the West Bank, with increasing settler violence".