GISHA: Israel deliberately withholding supplies
Again, we see how despite promises to facilitate humanitarian aid...despite talk of ceasefire...the deliberate suffocation of Gaza continues. Here, a press release from GISHA-the Tel-Aviv based Legal Center for Freedom of Movement.
Israel Is Preventing Repair of the Electrical, Water and Sewage Systems in Gaza
Policy of Deliberate Obstruction Continues Even After the Ceasefire:
* The amount of industrial diesel Israel has permitted to enter Gaza is just 64% of the total needed to operate the power station.
*Since the fighting ended, Israel has totally obstructed the transfer of vital spare parts needed to repair the electrical, water and sewage systems.
*As a result, 1/4 million people have been without electricity in Gaza for the past month; power outages span 16-18 hours a day for the others.
*More than 200,000 people have no access to running water; the rest get water for only a few hours every 2-5 days.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009 – Ten days after the ceasefire, and despite promises to permit humanitarian aid to reach Gaza residents, Israel is continuing its deliberate policy of restricting supply of industrial diesel and humanitarian goods to the Gaza Strip.The policy, in place for the past 15 months, is preventing the supply of electricity to humanitarian facilities in Gaza.
As a result of the restrictions on the supply of industrial diesel and the mass devastation caused by the military operation, 1/4 million people have been entirely without electricity for over a month, and more than 200,000 people are denied access to running water. Those who receive electricity -- suffer power outages of 16-18 hours per day, on average.
Ihab Abu Zaiter, a 32-year-old father of three, living east of Jabaliya, whose home was partially destroyed in the bombings, has been living entirely without electricity for the past month:“We don't buy any food that requires refrigeration; it’s like living in the Middle Ages,” he said. “We light a fire inside the house in order to keep the children warm.This is a very cold month, and we can’t sleep without the fire, but I’m afraid that the rest of the house will catch fire or that the children will burn themselves.”
posted by Laila @ Thursday, January 29, 2009
8 Comments:
not surprising, since the onset of the recent war the goal has been to punish the Palestinians in mass in hopes they would get tired of it and give up the useless attacks.
But what do they do in response, attack israel again on video for all the world to see.
Sorry violent resistance wont win your side much support from the US even with this more tolerant president who wants the boarders open.
/yawn /sigh /rolls eyes @ American 6103.
You're wrong. YOU know it. I know it. EVERONE knows it. The facts, the evidence is there for all to see.
As you must know, the deal was, the rockets will cease IF Israel ceases it's strangulation.
By not allowing speedy, critically needed supplies into Gaza, Israel has broken the agreement AGAIN. They once again do not comply with Human Rights but instead criminally withhold aid. So once again Israel is using it's civilian population as pawns by not adhering to the deal and for showing NO MERCY OR GOODWILL and knowingly provoking rocket attacks.
I think Israel's time might be up! Even the US cannot be blind to the hugely mounting global disapproval of what Israel has done and is still doing. Israel's lies have become so transparent even the US cannot be blind to them any longer.
Laila if anything here is incorrect, if I have my facts wrong, or if I have said anything that could be offensive, please don't post this.
OH and I have been wondering how that little bird your parents have, is going. While loss of human life is by far the most tragic, the environment and wildlife are also victims. To me that little bird symbolizes the environment and wildlife of Gaza and the farmers and farmlands.
Thing is, the pals don't have the room to demand anything. Saying we wont cease rockets till ya'll open the boarder gets you all of blown the hell up again from the country with the power in this situation.
fair, no, but it's reality. Israel holds all the cards and an ineffective strategy such as week rocket retaliation won’t help the Palestinian situation in the least weather it makes them feel better to exact this little bit a vengeance or not.
I feel for those in Gaza, nothing of substance will be done to help them by anyone. They're stuck between a rock and a hard place with no way out and can't see beyond the dead and hate to create a better strategy to fight israel.
Why not take all those things from the border with the friendly Egyptians instead of the enemy Israelis?
Ma salam,
Michael
I have been reading your blog for some time now and turn to you for questions I can’t seem to find an answer to. I do appreciate your insight into the situation.
Why are weapons smuggled under the border with Egypt, wouldn’t it be more logical to smuggle food?
Why don’t the people of Gaza ask Egypt for basic necessities of life, food, water, electricity?
If my much larger than myself violent neighbor gave me food and paid for my electricity I would not throw the food back at him (several of the rockets fired at Israel from Gaza are partly powered by sugar).
It is obvious, at least to me, Israel is not going anywhere. It just seems it would make a lot more sense for Hamas to turn to Egypt rather than turning to Israel. Why Israel and not Egypt?
I don’t believe Israel would have been able to start war on the Egyptian border, threatening the peace agreement between the two, without the consent of Egypt. Egypt had to approve of the recent war. Why is this?
I understand the “right of return” but am confused on the tactics Hamas is using. They cannot defeat Israel militarily. They are not going to defeat Israel by draining Israel’s economy, like Al Quida is trying to do to the US. What exactly is the goal of Hamas by launching rockets into Israel?
All I can say is your studies seemed to be limited to reading Israeli propoganda. There's plenty of links on Laila's blog and many others that give BOTH perspectives. If you're serious about studying the Middle East I suggest you start there.
Would you be eternally grateful to your neighbor if they first cut your power and water supply, destroyed your lovingly tendered vegetable garden and fruit trees, controlled EVERYTHING that passed into your property, including mail, visitors, servicemen and yourself. Then they come over and kill your family, destroy your home and your whole neighborhood?
Would you then be tempted to try to smuggle in basic supplies, and for fear of your life, perhaps a slingshot? Would you gratefully accept the little food water etc they give to you? And when you get REALLY pissed off at them, would you be tempted to break their window with that slingshot? And should you then accept that it was your own fault for doing that when they come back and beat you to a pulp and leave you to die?
And then to add insult to injury they lie to the rest of the world and tell them that YOU are a terrorist and should be grateful for all the good things they do for you.
As a teacher I would fail you on your studies as a bigoted idiot that didn't bother to study at all but just wrote the rhetoric heard on a censored media. And I am a teacher. YOU FAIL - re submit and this time do some reading.
" As a teacher I would fail you on your studies as a bigoted idiot that didn't bother to study at all but just wrote the rhetoric heard on a censored media."
I'm happy enough not to have such a bias professor to have to cater too. Too many fail you for daring to disagree with their own personal political views and it is unethical.
In response to Dragonfly.
These are questions, not a report. They are simply questions I cannot find answers to. In a sense you did answer a few of them, but the two main questions I’m looking for an answer to I would like to find out.
Why don’t the people of Gaza ask Egypt for aid?
As I stated in my first post, I don’t believe Israel would threaten the peace with Egypt by carrying out the attack on Gaza without the consent of Egypt. Livni was in Egypt days before the attack, for what I believe was to get the go ahead from Egypt. If am wrong on my assumption than please do correct me. If I am correct, than my question would be why would Egypt allow this?
I do read Palestine Times and Al Jazeera online and do plan on taking a look at the links in Laila’s blog. I have been to Jerusalem and the West Bank and talked with quite a few Palestinians while there. I am not Jewish. I am neither Pro Israeli nor Pro Palestinian, I am simply looking to further my understanding of the area. If my questions offended you I apologize. In calling me a bigoted idiot does nothing to further your cause, where as informing me, and others like me, just may.
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