GAZA, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- Unemployment rate among Palestinians in the Gaza Strip has increased to 70 percent due to the ongoing Israeli siege, said a statement by the Popular Committee for Ending Gaza Siege issued on Monday.

"The continuation of the siege for 13 years ... was reflected on the increased unemployment rates," the statement quoted Jamal al-Khodari, chairman of the committee, as saying.

"Closure of workshops, factories and commercial shops has become a daily occurrence in Gaza ... leaving 300,000 Palestinians workers unemployed, and tens of thousands of fresh graduates without hope," he added in the statement.

The statement said the situation is prone to further deterioration in light of the Israeli siege, calling for "rational solutions to ease the crisis, through supporting remote employment projects and opening foreign and Arab markets."

"The main gate to enhance the performance of the factories and companies and decrease unemployment gradually is by ending the siege, opening border crossings, connecting the West Bank with Gaza, which would restart the economic cycle, allow exports out of Gaza and free access of goods and people," the statement said.

Gaza has been placed under a tight Israeli blockade since the Islamic Hamas movement seized the territory by force after routing forces loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas in 2007.

In the past decade, Israel and Hamas movement have been engaged in three major wars that claimed the lives of thousands of Palestinians and Israelis. Enditem

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