called for an end to Israel's blockade of Gaza by saying that it amounted to the "collective punishment of 1.75 million Palestinians." He argued that viability of Gaza was at stake: "With 70 percent of the population dependent on international aid for survival and 90 percent of the water unfit for human consumption, drastic and urgent changes are urgently required if Palestinians in Gaza are to have their most basic rights protected." Falk also called for the Red Cross or a commission of international law experts to establish a convention to address the specific issues related to situations of prolonged occupation. He said, "Forty-six years ago today Israel's occupation of Palestine began. Six days of war has turned into 46 years of occupation." He concluded, "Forty-six years of denying Palestinians their most basic rights has not achieved peace, Israel's continuous annexation of Palestinian resources and territory." Falk devoted part of his report to UN Watch which he described as a "pro-Israel lobbying organization" that had conducted "a smear campaign" by issuing "a series of defamatory attacks demeaning his character, repeatedly distorting his views on potentially inflammatory issues" but "despite its efforts to discredit the Special Rapporteur, UN Watch has never offered substantive criticisms or entered into any serious discussion of the Special Rapporteur‟s reports". He asked the UN to investigate UN Watch to determine whether it is an independent organisation and "not indirectly sponsored by the Government of Israel and/or other pro-Israel lobbying groups". Some media outlets have described UN Watch as a pro-Israel group. Many countries speaking at the session thanked Falk for his work and challenged Israel for refusing to co-operate with his human rights mission in the Palestinian territories. The Palestinian delegation praised the report and called for its speedy implementation. The European Union agreed that Israel's settlements and separation barrier were "illegal under international law and constitute an obstacle to peace" but also criticised parts of the report. The European representative said, "The EU continues to regret the unbalanced mandate of the Special Rapporteur and is also concerned that parts of the report include political considerations. In the past, the EU emphasized that future reports should be based on a more factual and legal analysis, and we regret to see no genuine progress in that direction. The council needs to be provided with accurate, factual information and solid allegations to fulfill its role and address the