Islamic Hamas movement  on Tuesday blamed Arab leaders for the continuation of Israeli blockade on Gaza Strip.

"The official Arab position does not at all meet the level of the humanitarian crime that is being committed in Gaza," said Fawzi Barhoum, a spokesman for Hamas which controls Gaza Strip.

Barhoum called on "the Arab and Islamic people and public leaders to move in a new phase of activities and rallies to expose Israel's crimes."

"The 21-month-old closure of Gaza was a pure Israeli-American decision but lifting it is a pure Egyptian-Arab decision," Barhoum added.

Israel and Egypt sealed off their borders with Gaza after Hamas routed security forces of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in mid-2007, ousted his Fatah movement and seized security installations in the coastal enclave.

Israel, the United States and most of the European countries classify Hamas, which won the 2006 elections, as a terrorist organization, and demand it to recognize Israel and renounce violence to get international recognition.