Human rights and aid organisations say the humanitarian situation in Gaza is worse now than at any time in the past 40 years.
A report from a group that includes Oxfam, Amnesty International and Trocaire has described the current Israeli blockade as unacceptable.
They have called on the international community to press for a new strategy for the Palestinian territory and have accused Israel of imposing an illegal and collective punishment on the 1.5m people who live there.
The report says poverty and unemployment levels are rising, hospitals are suffering 12-hour-per-day power cuts and the water and sewage systems are close to collapse.
Meanwhile, Israel and the Palestinians have agreed to resume peace talks under pressure from US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
This is subject to an Israeli commitment to end its offensive in Gaza, in which more than 125 Palestinians were killed.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said there would be no further military action if there were a halt to Palestinian rocket attacks.
