Gaza

The European Union slammed what it termed as "collective punishment" of impoverished Gaza's 1.5 million residents, while the United Nations called on Israel to open the territory's crossings to ease a "desperate" situation in a zone where most people depend on foreign aid.

But Israel dismissed warnings of a humanitarian meltdown, saying Hamas was exaggerating the situation in the territory that had reserves.

"Hamas is deliberately intensifying the crisis in the Gaza Strip in order to create pressure from the international community on Israel," Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told visiting Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen.

NO PRESSURE... as long as the children are fed, and the sick ones are allowed to breath.