New York, March 20, 2010, SPA -- The Palestinian National Authority declared that three years of economic blockade imposed by Israeli occupation forces on the Gaza Strip had been resulting in tragic living conditions for about 1.5 million Palestinians in the Strip. In a letter addressed on Friday to the U.N. Security Council, General Assembly, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, the Authority called for pressing Israeli occupation forces to lift the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip. It said, "Economic, health, education indicators and other social aspects disclose the size of human sufferings deliberately caused by Israeli colonial power to Palestinian civilians, posing a collective punishment tantamount to war crimes." --SPA 11:37 LOCAL TIME 08:37 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/760467