Hope is heading for reality as anti-siege activism scores successes against the odds
source: http://www.middleeastmonitor.org.uk/articles/europe/1582-hope-is-heading-for-reality-as-anti...
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- Radical_Centrist
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When the borders of Gaza were sealed by Israel in June 2007 the population faced a situation that was, inevitably, going to deteriorate on every level very quickly. A total blockade of an overcrowded and already economically devastated country should have been condemned across the world from the beginning, but it has taken over three years to convince the international community to hold Israel to account for the suffering it is causing.
The political aim of the blockade was to foment dissent against the democratically-elected Hamas government in a blatant use of collective punishment against the 1.5 million civilians in the occupied territory. By March 2008 the blockade was so severe that many international aid and human rights groups, including Medecins du Monde UK, Oxfam, CARE and Amnesty International, drew up a report that stated the humanitarian situation in Gaza was the worse it had been since the beginning of Israeli occupation in 1967.1 It was reported by Israeli human rights organisation B'tselem that up to 80% of the Palestinians living in Gaza were below the poverty line in 2007 at the onset of the total blockade. This figure rose and the degree of poverty became more acute as the siege wore on.2
While humanitarian aid is essential in such situations, it does nothing to address the root cause of the problem. During the Israelis' military assault on and invasion of Gaza in December 2008 and January 2009, thousands of civilians were injured and over 1,400 were killed; much of the civilian infrastructure in the Gaza Strip was destroyed. Almost two years later reconstruction has not been allowed to take place; the Israelis do not class building supplies as "essential humanitarian goods" and so they are forbidden. Even when Israel does allow such goods into Gaza, the volume is nowhere near enough to allow a return to normality. It is obvious that humanitarian aid on its own is not the solution.
http://www.middleeastmonitor.org.uk/articles/europe/1582-hope-is-heading-for-rea...
The political aim of the blockade was to foment dissent against the democratically-elected Hamas government in a blatant use of collective punishment against the 1.5 million civilians in the occupied territory. By March 2008 the blockade was so severe that many international aid and human rights groups, including Medecins du Monde UK, Oxfam, CARE and Amnesty International, drew up a report that stated the humanitarian situation in Gaza was the worse it had been since the beginning of Israeli occupation in 1967.1 It was reported by Israeli human rights organisation B'tselem that up to 80% of the Palestinians living in Gaza were below the poverty line in 2007 at the onset of the total blockade. This figure rose and the degree of poverty became more acute as the siege wore on.2
While humanitarian aid is essential in such situations, it does nothing to address the root cause of the problem. During the Israelis' military assault on and invasion of Gaza in December 2008 and January 2009, thousands of civilians were injured and over 1,400 were killed; much of the civilian infrastructure in the Gaza Strip was destroyed. Almost two years later reconstruction has not been allowed to take place; the Israelis do not class building supplies as "essential humanitarian goods" and so they are forbidden. Even when Israel does allow such goods into Gaza, the volume is nowhere near enough to allow a return to normality. It is obvious that humanitarian aid on its own is not the solution.
http://www.middleeastmonitor.org.uk/articles/europe/1582-hope-is-heading-for-rea...
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freecrack
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lol yeah and those mean guards keep those poor inmates behind bars too.
- 1 year ago
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freecrack
