Hundreds of people, including 90 international peace activists, have demonstrated in the Gaza Strip against the Israeli blockade of the territory.

The protest took place around the high-security Erez border crossing where Israeli guards allow only a trickle of aid supplies to enter Gaza. The blockade has been in force since the end of the Israeli offensive in Gaza in December 2008 in which about 1400 Palestinians were killed.

The organisers hoped more foreign activists would join the protest, but 1200 people remained in Egypt where they were refused permission to cross the border.

photo: anti-blockade protest (Flickr / Mashahed)