Gaza City, June 2 (RHC)-- German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has called for the removal of Israel's eight-year-long blockade on the Gaza Strip. More action to rebuild and improve Gaza's troubled economy "requires the opening of crossing points," said Steinmeier during a rare visit to Gaza on Monday.

Removing the blockade will also decrease the risk of renewed escalation in the region, he noted. "The troubled situation in Gaza demands of us to think about concrete steps to improve daily life there -- without which, I am afraid, the situation is escalating,"

During his trip, Steinmeier visited areas destroyed by Israeli fire in eastern Gaza and inaugurated an expansion at a United Nations school.