Germany's foreign minister on Monday said during a rare visit to Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip that the Israeli-Egyptian blockade of 1.5 million Palestinians living there is "unacceptable" and must end.
According to the AP, Guido Westerwelle also said after a tour in a U.N. school and a German-funded sewage treatment plant that the border closure is strengthening "extremists" at the expense of moderates. He also urged Hamas to free Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who was catured by Palestinian fighters over four years ago.
Westerwelle did not meet with Gaza's Hamas rulers
