Salute the Palestinian Resistance
• People of Gaza Take Action to Liberate Themselves
•
Palestinians Break Gaza Siege
• Palestinian American Congress Condemns the Israeli Blockade of Gaza as Barbaric and Inhumane
• Israeli Organizations Demand End to Israeli Crimes Against Gaza• Hamas Leader Calls for Ending Blockade Against Gaza
• U.S. Blocks UN Action to End Gaza Siege
• Non-Aligned Movement Condemns Attacks on Palestinian Civilians in Gaza
•
UN Human Rights Council Calls for Urgent International Action to End Grave Israeli Violations in Occupied Palestinian Territory
•
Tightened Siege on Gaza Reaches Unprecedented Levels and Endangers the Life of 1.5 Million Civilians
People of Gaza Take Actio to Liberate Themselves
Voice of Revolution salutes the organized mass resistance in Gaza that smashed U.S.-Israeli efforts to starve Palestinians into submission and criminalize their resistance. Led and defended by Hamas, the people of Gaza took decisive action to break through the border wall with Egypt. Hundreds of thousands poured into Egypt to secure food, fuel, medical supplies and more. The action turned the tables on U.S.-Israeli aggression and made clear — the Palestinians know to rely on themselves and their organized resistance. And while President George W. Bush, with his recent visit to the region, thought he had Egypt and the other Arab governments in line, it is the Palestinians that have occupied the space for developing unity — unity on the basis of support for their rights. Far from submitting to U.S. and Israeli demands to Egypt to “secure” the border and crush the Palestinians, the Egyptian government had to submit to the demands of the people in Egypt, Palestine and worldwide. The security forces did not stop the Palestinians. In addition, the possibility for Egypt and Palestine to control the border without Israeli interference has also increased. It is the U.S.-Israeli efforts to starve and isolate the Palestinians that have been justly defeated. The whole world is applauding this audacious and well-planned victory.
The bold actions by the Palestinians themselves were months in the making. First, for weeks, work was done to weaken the metal section of the border wall, using torches to slice through the heavy wall. Then, even when Israel plunged Gaza into darkness and stopped the water and sewage pumps, the Palestinians persisted. Demonstrations were organized Sunday, when the power plant was forced to shut down. Then on Monday, the women of Gaza rose in heroic struggle, demanding that the border at Rafah be opened. They faced water canons and repression by the Egyptians on that day, and still came forward to defend their rights. Then on Wednesday, 17 explosions, contained to blasting open the wall, were placed and executed around 4am. It is reported that at first security forces on both sides prevented people from going through. But then, later in the morning, tens of thousands streamed across. The security forces withdrew or stood aside. Egyptians also demonstrated during the day in support of the Palestinians, as did peoples worldwide. The Egyptian government did not dare to act against the Palestinians.
The action by the Palestinians also put to rest efforts by the U.S. and Israel to blame the Palestinians themselves for the siege. At the United Nations January 22, before the border was breached, the U.S. insisted that Israel had the “right” to impose the siege in order to “defend itself.” Even after numerous UN officials and agencies presented facts of the Israeli crimes, and representatives of the 118-member Non-Aligned Movement, the Arab League and African Union also condemned the siege and its human rights violations, still the U.S. said it was legitimate. More than this, it blocked any action by the UN Security Council (UNSC) to end the siege. But the Palestinians showed they will wait for no one — they will liberate themselves! It is the Palestinians who prevailed and made clear that prospects for peace in the Middle East lie not with the imperialists, but with the people and their resistance.
Voice of Revolution vigorously condemns the U.S. backing, funding and protection of Israel. U.S. imperialism is the one that organizes and permits these brutal crimes and is thus the greater criminal. It has every ability to stop funding and arming Israel, to secure passage of enforceable UNSC resolutions to end the occupation, to itself hold accountable U.S. officials guilty of permitting these crimes. It does not do so because it would mean exposing and repudiating the criminal nature of U.S. imperialism and its empire-building. So, like in Iraq, it attempts to blame the Palestinians themselves for their starvation and to dictate which political forces the people can and cannot support. As White House spokesman Dana Perino said after the border wall was opened, “The Palestinians living in Gaza are living under chaos because of Hamas, and the blame has to be placed fully at their feet.” The siege was imposed precisely because the Palestinians rejected U.S.-Israeli dictate and took their stand against occupation. And now, there is not only a hole in the border wall, the entire U.S. “peace” process of aggression and occupation is also in shambles. Indeed, as one writer put it, “The hole in the wall in Gaza is an eloquent tombstone to President George W. Bush’s Middle East policy. The post-Bush era has begun, a moment of great promise for all in the region who hope to live in peace and security.”
Americans like people worldwide are going into action to support the courageous Palestinians and to block efforts by the U.S. to now retaliate. Demonstrations are being organized across the country, in cities south, north, east and west. Anti-war organizations and those fighting for rights in Palestine and worldwide are stepping up their efforts to oppose U.S. imperialism and all its occupations and wars of aggression. Together, the peoples of the world are saying Viva Viva Palestine! Viva Viva Palestine![TOP]
Organized Resistance Opens Border with Egypt
Palestinians Break Gaza Siege
On January 23, Palestinians in Gaza organized to break the criminal U.S.-Israeli siege against them, and broke down the border wall between Palestine and Egypt. The opening created, in the town of Rafah, made it possible for the Palestinians to secure food, fuel, medical supplies, and more. More than 350,000 Palestinians crossed into Egypt, breaking the effort of the U.S. and Israel to literally starve them into submission. And their spirit is such that not only did they secure food and fuel and medicine, they also brought back cement and other needs to rebuild their homes.
The border wall had been constructed and patrolled by the Israelis, even after they were forced to pull out of Gaza. A “no man’s land” was created between Palestine and Egypt as a buffer. Then in June, the Hamas-led resistance secured Gaza for the Palestinians, and routed the U.S-organized gangs of Lieutenant General Keith Dayton and his point-man, Mohammad Dahlan. Since that time the U.S-Israeli occupation against the Palestinians has targeted Gaza, imposing a criminal blockade and siege, including military raids killing dozens of civilians — 37 killed and 70 injured in the last week alone. The blocking of fuel meant Gaza’s only power station was forced to shut down on January 20, putting the entire region in darkness. This also meant many water pumps and sewage stations were also stopped, and hospitals forced to close. Since September 75 people have died as a result of the lack of medical care due to the siege.
The Palestinians answered the U.S.-Israeli darkness with candlelight marches on Sunday. Then the women of Gaza protested at the border in Rafah on Tuesday, demanding that it be opened. Then on Wednesday, the Palestinians broke down the border wall. The wall, metal fencing in some areas, and concrete barriers in others, was opened with bulldozers and contained explosions. Men and women, grandmothers and children, streamed across. And the Egyptian security forces at the border took no action against them.
In this manner, the Palestinians directly countered efforts by the U.S. and Israel to turn Egypt into an enemy of the Palestinians. President Bush had just visited the region saying “friendship” with Egypt is “one of the main cornerstones of our policy in this region.” He emphasized that the U.S. expects Egypt to support U.S-Israeli efforts to subjugate the Palestinians, by supporting the latest Annapolis “peace” process. As Bush put it in his meetings with the Egyptian government, “I know nations in the neighborhood are willing to help, particularly yourself.”
The Palestinians, with their actions, made it impossible for the government of Egypt to do anything other than assist the Palestinians. Their organized resistance made clear that the know to rely on their own resistance and that it is this resistance that is their source of security, in Palestine and the region as a whole.
At present the border remains open. Hamas and the people of Gaza have again demanded that the siege be ended, a general ceasefire negotiated and the borders opened, with the Palestinians and Egyptians alone controlling their border without U.S.-Israeli interference.
[TOP]
Demand U.S. Act to End Blockade
Palestinian American Congress Condemns the
Israeli Blockade of Gaza as Barbaric and Inhumane
As the world watches in horror, the Israeli government escalates its relentless and brutal attack on Palestinian civilians. The Israeli government continues to engage in its systematic bloodletting and strangulation of over a million and a half civilians. This collective punishment of the Palestinian people presents clear evidence of atrocious war crimes that violate the tenants of international humanitarian law and United Nations resolutions.
The Palestinian people continue to suffer from the Israeli military brutality and Israeli policies of starvation, shortage of medical supplies, deportation, imprisonment, aerial bombings, house demolition, use of human shields, death squads and much more. Once again, the only power plant in Gaza was shut down leaving most of the 1.5 million inhabitants of Gaza without power and electricity. The lack of power has resulted in wide spread water shortages and the sewage system under imminent threat of collapse.
In the absence of enough medical supplies, fuel and electricity, hospitals are barely functioning and life support machines powered by generators will shut down. Already, hundreds of newborn babies along with cancer and dialysis patients have had to face slow deaths due to shortages of medicine caused by the Israeli siege. As well as the sick who are not allowed to cross Israeli checkpoints to seek medical treatment elsewhere.
The Palestinian American Congress (PAC) expresses its solidarity with the Palestinian people at these difficult times and in the face of the Israeli atrocities. We recognize that this carefully managed suffocation of Gaza is part of Israel’s strategy to coerce the Palestinian people to a political settlement that negates their legitimate rights in Palestine. The longstanding and heinous practices of holding a whole nation hostage must be stopped.
We recognize that the actions of the Israeli government are working to undermine peace and stability in Palestine and the region.
We urge President Bush and the United States Congress to call on Israel to immediately end its blockade of Gaza and to insist that Israel abide by the universal standards of human rights, international law and UN resolutions.
We strongly urge President Abbas and the Palestinian Authority to suspend their talks with Israel and actively seek to form a united Palestinian front to face the Israeli violence targeting the Palestinians.
We call on the Egyptian government to open the Rafah boarder crossing and allow passage of Palestinian patients to seek medical care in Egypt or elsewhere. We call on Egypt to facilitate the transport of humanitarian aid, food, medicine and fuel to the people of Gaza.
We urge the Saudi government to use its influence to rally international support to protect the Palestinians from Israel’s unchecked and aggressive collective punishment of Palestinian civilians. Contact: Rima Barakat pac_barakat@yahoo.com, 303-829-5848
[TOP]
Locked Outside of Public City Council Meeting
Israeli Organizations Demand End to Israeli Crimes Against Gaza
We, the Israeli organizations signed below, oppose the decision by the Israeli government to cut off vital supplies of electricity and fuel (and therefore water, since the pumps cannot work), as well as essential foodstuffs, medicines and other humanitarian supplies to the civilian population of Gaza. Such an action constitutes a clear and unequivocal crime against humanity.
Prof. John Dugard, the United Nations Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in the Palestinian Territories, called the Israeli government’s actions “serious war crimes” for which its political and military officials should be prosecuted and punished. The killing of more than 40 civilians this past week violates, he said, “the strict prohibition on collective punishment contained in the Fourth Geneva Convention. It also violates one of the basic principles of international humanitarian law that military action must distinguish between military targets and civilian targets.” Indeed, the very legal framework invoked by the Israeli government to carry out this illegal and immoral act—declaring Gaza a “hostile entity” within a “conflict short of war”—has absolutely no standing in international law.
We call on the Secretary General of the UN, Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, to lead the Security Council to a decisive decision to end the siege on Gaza when it meets in emergency session on Wednesday.
We call on the governments of the world, and in particular the American government and the European Parliament, to censure Israel’s actions and, in light of recent attempts to revive the diplomatic process, to end all attacks on civilians, including the continuing demolition of Palestinian homes at an alarming rate.
We call upon the Jews of the world in whose name the Israeli government purports to speak, and upon their rabbis and communal leaders in particular, to speak out unequivocally against this offense to the very moral core of Jewish values.
And we call upon the peoples of the world to let their officials and leaders know of their repudiation of this cruel, illegal and immoral act—an act that stands out in its cruelty even in an already oppressive Israeli Occupation.
We condemn attacks on all civilians, and we acknowledge the suffering of the residents of Sderot (Israel). Still, those attacks do not justify the massive disproportionality of Israeli sanctions over a million and half civilians of Gaza, in particular in light of Israel’s oppressive 40-year occupation. Such violations of international law by a government are especially egregious and must be denounced and punished if the very system of human rights and international law is to be preserved.
The Israeli government’s decision to punish Gaza’s civilian population, with all the human suffering that entails, constitutes State Terrorism against innocent people. Only when Israeli policy-makers are held accountable for their actions and international law upheld, will a just peace be possible in the Middle East.
Signed,
The Alternative Information Center, Bat Tsafon, Gush Shalom, The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD), Physicians for Human Rights (Israel), The Women’s Coalition for Peace
[TOP]
Hamas Leader Calls for Ending Blockade Against Gaza
A leading member and spokesperson of Hamas, Khaled Meshaal, denounced the Israeli blockade against Gaza as “an immoral crime and a tragedy,” saying the limited quantities of fuel and medicine allowed by Israel to enter Gaza was only a “ploy to appease the Palestinian, Arab and international anger.” He emphasized that resistance “will continue until the end of the aggression,” against the Palestinian people. He spoke at a conference of various Palestinian organizations in Damascus, Syria. The communiqué of the conference said, “The goal is to solve the current state of Palestinian division through a comprehensive national dialogue that preserves unity.” The conference also affirmed Palestinian rights, taking an unyielding stand on the right of return for Palestinian refugees. Hundreds of representatives from Palestinian organizations were present as were Syrian officials and Lebanese organizations.
Meshaal also called on Arab foreign ministers to take a decision in their next meeting to help lift the Israeli blockade against the Gaza Strip. He also noted that the missiles launched by his group were not the reason for the imposition of the blockade, which existed before the firing of the rockets. Hamas had stopped launching rockets as part of a truce called several months ago. But Israel did not stop its aggression, Meshaal said. Meshaal also expressed the readiness of Hamas, which governs in Gaza, to open an unconditional dialogue with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.[TOP]
U.S. Also Guilty of War Crimes
U.S. Blocks UN Action to End Gaza Siege
As the world’s peoples demanded an end to the criminal U.S.-Israeli siege against Palestinians in Gaza, and the majority of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) also demanded action — calling for Israel to open the Gaza border crossings, closed even to the UN — the U.S. blocked any UN action. The UNSC was meeting in emergency session on January 22. Faced again with UN inaction on January 23, the Palestinians took action themselves and broke the siege by opening the Gaza border with Egypt.
The U.S. stand against UNSC action came in the wake of top UN officials condemning as war crimes the Israeli killing of Palestinians in Gaza. On January 20, John Dugard, UN special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied territories, condemned Israel for an airstrike targeting a Hamas government office, where civilians at a nearby wedding were killed and injured. He said, “Those responsible for such cowardly actions are guilty of serious war crimes and should be prosecuted and punished for their crimes.” He added, “The recent action violates the strict prohibition on collective punishment in the Fourth Geneva Convention. It violates one of the basic principles of international law that military action must distinguish between military and civilian targets.” He concluded, “The killing of some 40 Palestinians in Gaza in the past week, the targeting of a government office near a wedding party venue with what must have been foreseen loss of life and injury to many civilians, and the closure of all crossings into Gaza raise very serious questions about Israel’s respect for international law and its commitment to the peace process.” He added that the U.S. is also “under both legal and a moral obligation to compel Israel to cease its actions against Gaza and to restore confidence in the peace process, ensure respect for international law and protect civilian life.”
At the UNSC emergency session, members took up work to reach agreement on a presidential statement. Such a statement expresses the view of the Council but, unlike a resolution, is usually non-binding and not enforceable. A statement requires the consensus of all 15 members of the Council.
The majority of the Security Council members denounced the Israeli siege. Speaker after speaker opposed claims by Israel and the U.S. that it is Palestinian resistance to occupation that is responsible for the current situation in Gaza. They brought forward that Israel is an occupying power and has responsibilities to provide for the civilian population and uphold international law, including humanitarian law. Speakers representing all the major political groupings within the UN, including the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), the African Union (AU) and the Arab League, condemned the siege as criminal. “The violent military escalation by Israel constitutes a grave breach of international law, including humanitarian and human rights law,” said Cuban envoy Rodrigo Malmierca Diaz in speaking before the Council on behalf of the 118-member NAM. NAM and the other regional groups called on the UNSC to take immediate action to ensure the supply of food, medicines and fuel to the Gaza Strip and to call on Israel to stop using its military might against Palestinian civilians. Briefing the council, UN Under Secretary-General for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe strongly urged Israel to allow “regular and unimpeded” delivery of fuel and basic necessities. She also said, “Collective penalties are prohibited under international law.”
It was hoped that a non-binding presidential statement would be acceptable to the U.S. The text expressed concern over the situation in Gaza and called on Israel “to ensure unhindered access for humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people and to open the border crossings to facilitate the passage of exports and imports to the Gaza Strip.” About 80 percent of Palestinians in Gaza depend on such aid for food. It also urged Israel “to abide by its obligation under international law, including humanitarian and human rights law, and immediately cease all its illegal measures and practices against the Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza Strip.” The U.S. insisted that the statement speak to the firing of rockets from Gaza into Israel. U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalizad, dismissing international law and fully backing Israel said, “We believe the current situation is a direct result of Hamas’s policies and actions.” He added, “The U.S. condemns in the strongest terms the ongoing firing of rockets and mortars from Gaza into Israel.” The U.S., known for calling for “balanced” statements, made no such condemnation of the siege against Gaza.
Despite the view of the majority, at the UN and worldwide, the U.S. refused to accept the statement or itself take any action to compel Israel to stop its crimes. This refusal was also despite the fact that the UNSC took up discussion on a statement, rather than a resolution, in part as a concession to the U.S. Council members anticipated that the U.S. would veto any resolution, given the fact that the U.S. has previously vetoed 40 UNSC resolutions condemning Israel and its crimes. (Resolutions are commonly binding and enforceable, but subject to veto from the five permanent members of the UNSC — Britain, China, France, Russia and the U.S.).
Continued negotiations then included language opposing the targeting of civilians by either side, but the U.S. still refused, next demanding that Hamas be named. Thus the U.S. again demonstrated that it is U.S. backing, funding and political protection that makes the Israeli crimes possible and makes the U.S. as responsible for them.
Diplomats and activists brought out that the inability of the UNSC to take action showed the necessity to for democratic renewal of UN institutions, including the UNSC. They emphasized that when crimes against humanity are so blatant and condemned by other UN organizations, the UNSC is duty-bound to act and that the ways must be found to change the current situation where such action is blocked.
The 15 current members of the UNSC are: Britain, China, France, Russia and the U.S. (permanent members) and Belgium, Burkina Faso, Costa Rica, Croatia, Indonesia, Italy, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Panama, South Africa and Viet Nam (rotating members). Negotiations are on going at present.[TOP]
Non-Aligned Movement Condemns Attacks on
Palestinian Civilians in Gaza
The 118 countries of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) condemned before the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Israeli attacks on the Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza Strip, including the latest one that left 19 dead and 50 wounded. Cuban Ambassador Isidoro Malmierca, president of the NAM Coordination Bureau, spoke yesterday at an emergency meeting requested by the group, along with the League of Arab States and the Organization of the Islamic Conference.
The situation has provoked great concern within the NAM given that the illegal Israeli actions have caused the deaths of more than 150 Palestinian civilians, including women and children during the last six weeks, the diplomat reiterated. Israel’s violent military escalation constitutes a serious violation of international law, including international humanitarian law and human rights agreements, as well as exacerbating the cycle of violence, Malmierca stated.
The ambassador emphasized that this aggression places international peace and security at risk, as well as the fragile peace process within the region. In his comments to the UNSC, Malmierca indicated that actions of this nature aggravate the already deplorable human conditions existing in the Gaza Strip. The civilian population continues to be subjected to collective punishment under a cruel occupation, said Malmierca.
He referred to the intensification of the siege of the occupied Palestinian territories with the hermetic sealing of all border crossings, to the point of preventing food deliveries to the population from January 18. He added that Israel is still reducing fuel supplies to Gaza, and totally cut off deliveries to the main generating station on Sunday, January 20.
Malmierca called on the Security Council to demand that Israel lift the siege and open border crossings to permit access, at least, of food and medical supplies. Urgent measures should be taken to assure the delivery of essential provisions, as well as the resumption of fuel deliveries to the Gaza Strip, he said.
The Non-Aligned Movement, he concluded, demands that the international community, and the Security Council in particular, fulfill their responsibilities and demand that Israel immediately end its violations and comply with its international obligations.
[TOP]
UN Human Rights Council Calls for Urgent International Action to End Grave Israeli Violations in Occupied Palestinian Territory
The sixth Special Session of the Human Rights Council concluded today after adopting a resolution in which it called for urgent international action to put an immediate end to the grave violations committed by Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including the series of incessant and repeated Israeli military attacks and incursions therein and the siege of the occupied Gaza Strip.
In the resolution, which was adopted by a roll-call vote of 30 in favor, one against and 15 abstentions. The Council demanded that Israel immediately lift the siege it had imposed on the occupied Gaza Strip, restore continued supply of fuel, food and medicine and reopen the border crossings. The Council also urged all concerned parties to respect the rules of human rights law and international humanitarian law and to refrain from violence against the civilian population.
In concluding remarks, the President of the Council, Ambassador Doru Romulus Costea of Romania, said that the Council had showed its ability to react quickly and swiftly to situations that required its consideration. All should sit and think after each Special Session about what had been achieved and what had not been achieved. Thinking about what had happened was important. Special Sessions dealt with urgent situations where rapid action was needed.
Syria introduced the draft resolution on behalf of the Group of Arab States and the Organization of the Islamic Conference. Palestine spoke as a concerned country. In the debate, speakers expressed their concern about the siege of Gaza and Israeli attacks which they said violated international humanitarian and human rights law. They warned that the escalation of the violence was negatively affecting any chances for peace. Many speakers stressed that the Israeli occupation was the main reason for the violations of the human rights of Palestinians.
UN Human Rights Council Resolution
In a resolution (A/HRC/S-6/L.1) on the human rights violations emanating from Israeli military attacks and incursions in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly in the occupied Gaza Strip, adopted by a roll-call vote of 30 in favor, 1 against, and 15 abstentions, the Council expresses grave concern at the Israeli repeated military attacks carried out in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly in the occupied Gaza Strip, which resulted in loss of lives and injuries among Palestinian civilians, including women and children; and calls for urgent international action to put an immediate end to the grave violations committed by the occupying Power, Israel, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory including the series of incessant and repeated Israeli military attacks and incursions therein and the siege of the occupied Gaza Strip. The Council demands that the occupying Power, Israel, lift immediately the siege it has imposed on the occupied Gaza Strip, restore continued supply of fuel, food and medicine and reopen the border crossings; calls for immediate protection of the Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory in compliance with human rights law and international humanitarian law; and urges all concerned parties to respect the rules of human rights law and international humanitarian law and to refrain from violence against the civilian population. The Council also requests the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to report to the Council, at its next session, on the progress made in the implementation of this resolution.
The result of the vote was as follows:
In favor (30): Angola, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, China, Cuba, Djibouti, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritius, Mexico, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Zambia.
Against (1): Canada.
Abstentions (15): Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cameroon, France, Germany, Ghana, Guatemala, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Republic of Korea, Romania, Slovenia, Switzerland, Ukraine and United Kingdom[TOP]
Tightened Siege on Gaza Reaches Unprecedented Levels and Endangers the Life of 1.5 Million Civilians
Israel has imposed a severe siege on the Gaza Strip since Hamas’ winning of the parliamentary elections in January 2006. Furthermore, Israel has tightened this siege following Hamas military domination over the Gaza Strip in June 2007 when Israel declared that the Gaza Strip is an “enemy entity.”
Two weeks ago, Israel tightened the siege and the embargo imposed on the Gaza Strip is reaching unprecedented levels. Israeli actions included various sanctions such as cutting off fuel and electricity to Gaza as well as all other energy resources. Israel has also imposed strict closure on all Gaza Strip border crossings, preventing movement of civilians including patients’ for medical services. Such procedures led to the entire shutdown of the sole energy producing station in the Gaza Strip two days ago. As a consequence, Gaza is drowning in darkness. Electricity for homes, industrial, and health facilities in the Gaza Strip was cut off entirely.
The electricity cut-off, therefore, has paralyzed all aspects of life in the Gaza Strip as water supply could not reach the homes of Palestinians; elevators in the high-rise towers can not function; and household electrical instruments have been shut down completely. What is even more critical is the water and sewage systems are about to shut down in addition to electricity generators in major hospitals and sanitation vehicles. All such matters warn of a humanitarian, health and environmental crisis.
Due to the denial of deliveries of vital supplies of food, fuel and humanitarian aids to the Gaza Strip, there has been a crisis in obtaining necessary food supplies for the people in Gaza. This situation added to the already existing crisis due to the fact that 80 percent of the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip depends on the humanitarian aids for securing their basic needs of survival. Furthermore, the stoppage of electricity and fuel as well as flour cut-off have caused even more paralysis in the bakeries in the Gaza Strip, thus preventing Palestinians from receiving their necessary needs of bread.
All forms and consequences of the siege imposed by Israel aggravate the Palestinians’ sufferings in Gaza Strip, coinciding with the economic crisis and high rate of poverty and unemployment. The new procedures of siege have led to a significant rise in the burdens on Palestinian civilians and families, as well as an emergence of a new wave of feelings of panic, anger, suppression and helplessness. As a result, the psychological sufferings of people are intensifying in the presence of the economic hardships.
Gaza Community Mental Health Program (GCMHP) is gravely concerned over the continuation of the tightened siege and isolating Gaza from the outside world. Further, GCMHP warns against the critical humanitarian, health and mental ramifications of this siege on the civilians, which threatens their lives and significantly deepens their suffering. Such consequences are becoming more apparent with more reports warning of the death of patients in intensive care units and deterioration of the health conditions of chronic disease patients including those with cancer and kidney failure.
In this critical time, GCMHP calls upon the international community, human rights organizations and all peace activists around the world to uphold their moral and legal responsibilities to end the Israeli inhumane siege and its repercussions that reach the level of war crimes. Additionally, GCMHP demands that the international community not remain silent toward the Israeli crimes and immediately intervenes and pressures Israel to end its siege and collective punishment imposed on Gaza Strip, threatening the lives of 1.5 million innocent civilians.
[TOP]