A new report has said that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is at its worst since Israel seized the territory in 1967.

The study released on Thursday was conducted by a coalition of eight British-based human rights organisations, including Amnesty International and Save the Children.

The report found more than 80 per cent of Gaza's 1.1 million population are now dependent on food aid.

Unemployment has risen to 40 per cent after around 70 per cent of the 110,000 workers employed in the private sector lost their jobs.

The report comes just days after a spate of Israeli raids left more than 120 Palestinians dead.

It also said that hospitals are suffering from power cuts of up to 12 hours a day, and the water and sewage systems were close to collapse, with 40-50 million litres of sewage pouring into the sea daily.

The organisations called on Israel to end its blockade of Gaza and for both sides to stop cease cross-border attacks.

Blockade 'indefensible'

Israel removed settlements and withdrew its forces from inside Gaza in 2005 but maintains control of most of Gaza's land, sea and air access.

After inter-Palestinian fighting left Hamas in de-facto control of Gaza in June, Israel closed the territory's borders, allowing only shipments of vital goods into Gaza.

Israel's defence ministry rejected the report, blaming Hamas for the hardships in Gaza.

The Israeli defence ministry also said medicines and medical equipment are shipped into Gaza with no limitation. On Wednesday, the military said it allowed 69 truckloads of supplies into Gaza, including basic food and baby formula.

Zahir Janmohamed, the Middle East advocacy director for Amnesty International, told Al Jazeera: "The Israeli government needs to lift the blockade, humanitarian assistance is not reaching Palestinians and if things continue the way they are, then I'm worried that even more chaos will erupt."

PHOTO CAPTION

A Palestinian boy drinks from a water tap as others wait to fill up water containers in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.

Al-Jazeera