Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Gazans live in fear of further attacks - 31 Dec 08

Gazans live in fear of further attacks - 31 Dec 08:

"Al Jazeera's Sherine Tadros reports from Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are living in fear of the next Israeli attack.

People are afraid to go out, but as they still have to eat, they are lining up outside the few bakeries still open to grab what they can before they hurry back home."



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Israel targets ambulances during Gaza airstrikes 31.12.08

Israel targets ambulances during Gaza airstrikes 31.12.08:

"Nine ambulances have been hit since saturday. This is the story of one team that came under fire, with fatal consequences."



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Israel sends recorded messages to scare Gaza public

Israel sends recorded messages to scare Gaza public:

"PressTv Report"



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

RT Interview with ISM Activist Sharon Lock

RT Interview with Sharon Lock:

"As the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate in Gaza, Sharon Lock, an activist for the International Solidarity Movement, says Israels actions are totally illegal as international law forbids collective punishment."



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

The Reality In Gaza - Dic 31, 2008

The Reality In Gaza -:

"A doctor from Norway explains the reality in Gaza and what is happening to the Palestinians."



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

What is the media coverage of Gaza in USA?

What is the media coverage of Gaza in USA?:

"Interview with Danny Schechter, editor of http://www.mediachannel.org/

Israel backed by army of cyber-soldiers http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news...



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Israeli Lawmaker and conscientious objector denounce situation in Gaza

Israeli Lawmaker andi conscientious objector denounce situation in Gaza (1 of 2) from Democracy Now 12/31/08:

"Israel has rejected a French proposal for an immediate emergency 48-hour ceasefire to allow humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. As Israeli air and sea attacks against the Strip continued into its fifth day, basic food supplies in Gaza are running low and hospitals are struggling to cope with the rising casualties. We speak to two Israelis opposed to the assault: Dov Khenin, a Knesset member with the the Jewish-Arab party Hadash; and Jonathan Benartzi, an Israeli conscientious objector who spent more than a year in prison for refusing to serve. He also happens to be the nephew of Benjamin Netanyahu, a leading proponent of attacking Gaza and a favorite to win the upcoming Israeli elections."

Part 1


Part 2


Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Dec 31 - Morning update from Gaza - 390 killed including 2 doctors on aid mission

Update from inside Gaza...:

"31.December.2008, Morning"

Israel continues to shell Gaza by air, land and sea. Palestinian death toll at 390 (including 58 children). Injuries stand at around 1800 wounded (including 45 children)

Related Report:
Source: IRIN
humanitarian news and analysis
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

GAZA CITY, 31 December 2008 (IRIN) - In Gaza’s main hospital, the director’s office is under virtual siege, according to an IRIN journalist in Gaza. Relatives of the injured are desperate to get their kin transferred to Egypt for emergency treatment. There is a fear here that the already overstretched healthcare system will collapse if Israel mounts a ground offensive into the tiny coastal strip, home to 1.5 million Palestinians.

As of the night of 30 December the death toll from the Israeli offensive had reached 380, with 1,800 wounded, according to the Gaza health ministry. The UN World Health Organization (WHO) said 30 children and nine women were among the dead and 250 children had been injured.

Fifteen medical patients passed through the Rafah border crossing into Egypt for emergency care on that day, said WHO.

Hospitals in the enclave have been overwhelmed by the trauma cases flowing into emergency rooms since the morning of 27 December.

An official from the Palestinian Medical Relief Society, Aed Yaghi, said at a press conference on 30 December that there were 2,053 hospital beds in Gaza, and warned it was not enough.

“One hundred and fifty patients were brought in at once,” said Khaled Abu-Najar, a staff nurse in Al-Shifa’s emergency room. “We lack beds, sterile gloves, sheets, scissors and gauze to treat patients.”

Shortages

He said there were shortages of chest tubes, forceps, artery clamps, ventilators and monitors.

Nearly half of the emergency room staff are volunteers recruited since 27 December, said Abu-Najar.

“We are short of rooms and supplies, we are up to our necks,” said Ramez Zyara, one of nine general surgeons working 24-hour shifts at Al-Shifa. The small team treated hundreds of patients on 30 December for crush injuries and severe trauma.

“The buildings are falling on the heads of the patients,” said Zyara.

The intensive care (ICU), burns, orthopaedic, and surgery units have reached capacity, said Al-Shifa hospital director Hussein Ashur, while 10 of the 12 operating rooms are being used for emergency care.

There are 25 life support systems - also used to measure a patient’s blood pressure, temperature, oxygen circulation and heart activity - in the ICU of As-Shifa. “We need at least 25 more,” said Ashur.

He also said there were shortages of dressings, and gauze used in X-ray machines.

“We have not received medical supplies at Al-Shifa for three months,” said Ashur.

The first emergency medical aid deliveries reached Gaza on 30 December. Some 90 trucks - 53 supplied by aid agencies - entered via the Kerem Shalom crossing, according to WHO.

Kamal Adwan hospital


Kamal Adwan is the primary hospital serving Jabalya and Beit Lahiya. Jabalya, Gaza’s largest refugee camp, is home to 300,000.

The hospital lacks medicine, including basic antibiotics, analgesics and hydrocortisone, said hospital director Bassam Abu-Warda.

“If there is a major Israeli invasion we will collapse,” warned Abu Warda. “On Saturday [27 December] 93 patients came for emergency care; we had to set up make-shift beds.”

Since 27 December Abu-Warda has added 24 beds to the existing 71.

Paramedics at Kamal said they did not have enough staff, medical supplies or ambulances.

Magdi Hatib, 48, witnessed his brother, Akram Hatib, 35, torn apart by burning shrapnel from an Israeli missile on 27 December in the Beach Refugee Camp of Gaza City, home to Gaza prime minister Ismail Haniyeh.

“He was bleeding on the ground for 15 minutes till we could approach him, fearing a second explosion,” said Magdi. “There were no ambulances, so we took him to Al-Shifa hospital by taxi.”

Rafah tunnels bombed

Israel bombed dozens of tunnels in the Rafah area on 30 December, saying they were used by Hamas for smuggling weapons.

Health ministry spokesperson Hamam Nasman said shipments of Egyptian fuel were the only means of running his fleet of ambulances, half of which are not operating due to a lack of spare parts - a result of the border closures by Israel since June 2007 when Hamas took over in the enclave.

The tunnels have been used to import fuel, cooking gas, medicine and food supplies to circumvent the Israeli blockade.

Residents flee their homes

Meanwhile, residents in Jabalya and Beit Lahiya were fleeing their homes in anticipation of further bombardments.

“We evacuated our home last night - my wife and our two-year old son Karim,” said Sami Abu-Salem, 38, an editor, after the Israeli authorities warned residents the home of a militant leader in the area would be targeted.

“We took basic food items with us and we are still afraid to return,” said Sami.

The Coastal Municipalities Water Utility in Gaza said that if the water supply network is damaged it will be impossible to repair, due to the lack of fuel and spare parts.

Access for aid agencies to Gaza has been severely restricted since the beginning of November. A ground invasion would make matters worse.




Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Inside Story- Post-attack options for Gaza - Dec 30 - Part 1

Inside Story- Post-attack options for Gaza - Dec 30 - Part 1:

"As Israeli warplanes continue to bombard the Gaza Strip for a fourth consecutive day, Inside Story takes a look at what could be next for Gaza."

Part 1


Part 2


Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Israel's onslaught on Gaza continues - almost 400 dead

Israel's onslaught on Gaza continues - almost 400 dead:

"Israel's massive bombing campaign of Gaza has continued for a fourth day, and the Israeli government says its attacks so far are just the first in several stages of operations. Israeli troops and tanks have been massing on the border with Gaza, and officials have said the military is ready to continue its assault for several weeks. The death toll in Gaza has now reached over 360, while four Israelis have been killed in revenge rocket attacks."



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

US military aid underpins Gaza offensive - 31 Dec 08

US military aid underpins Gaza offensive - 31 Dec 08:

"Israel receives billions of dollars in military aid from the US each year, much of it spent on American weaponry which US law says must only be used in self-defence.

But experts say there is little chance of cuts in aid to Israel despite its military operation in Gaza."



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Israel attacks Cynthia Mckinney's Boat

Israel attacks Cynthia Mckinney's Boat:

"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DL8Lc-... Israeli attack plesure boats full with health supplies as Cynthia remembers the USS Liberty..If u dont know about this event..Then follow the links http://whatreallyhappened.com/WRHARTI... PS:If the title offends you..Then Im sorry..But I call them like I see them..Attacking a leisure vessel is Pretty dirty"



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Cynthia Mckinney violently blocked from Gaza and the latest 12/30/08

Cynthia Mckinney violently blocked from Gaza and the latest 12/30/08:

http://www.democracynow.org/2008/12/3....
From Democracy Now 12/30/08
Israel Rams Activist Boat Carrying Aid to Gaza
Gaza Death Toll Tops 375
Israel Vows to Wage War to the Bitter End
UN: 64 Palestinian Civilians Killed
Four Israelis Killed in Palestinian Rocket Attacks
Kucinich Calls on UN to Investigate Israeli Attack
Molotov Cocktail Thrown at Synagogue in Chicago"



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

latest news update from Gaza - 30 December

YouTube - 30 December, latest news update from Gaza:

"....."



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

For the forth day residential areas in Gaza are being bombed

For the forth day residential areas in Gaza are being bombed:

"60 new air strikes on Gaza..."



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

More civilian casualties in Gaza amid raids - 30 Dec 08

More civilian casualties in Gaza amid raids - 30 Dec 08:

"Israel's unrelenting assault on Gaza is continuing. Two young sisters were among those killed overnight, as the death toll passed 360.
Palestinian rockets have been raining down on southern Israel. Those attacks have claimed four lives.
Roza Ibragimova has the latest developments."



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Nowhere to run for those trapped in Gaza - 30 Dec 08

Nowhere to run for those trapped in Gaza - 30 Dec 08:

"Palestinian families are wondering whether they will become the next target after four days of Israeli air raids on the Gaza Strip.
As Sherine Tadros reports, there are few places to hide, and civilian casualties continue to rise."



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Damaged Gaza aid boat docks in southern Lebanon - 30 Dec 08

Damaged Gaza aid boat docks in southern Lebanon - 30 Dec 08:

"A boat carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza has arrived in Lebanon after being turned back by the Israeli navy.
The Dignity set off from Cyprus on Monday carrying three tons of emergency and medical supplies.
Activists on board say it was rammed by an Israeli ship but the navy says it was an accident.
Mohammed Vall reports."



Press TV Report




Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Israel attacks Dignity aid-boat to Gaza

dignity aid boat hit:

An Israeli navy vessel Rams the "Dignity" boat in international waters as it headed to Gaza on a medical aid mission.



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Fourth day of Israel's onslaught on Gaza - news report:

Fourth day of Israel's onslaught on Gaza - news report:

"Israel's massive bombing campaign of Gaza has continued for a fourth day, and the Israeli government says its attacks so far are just the first in several stages of operations. Israeli troops and tanks have been massing on the border with Gaza, and officials have said the military is ready to continue its assault for several weeks. The death toll in Gaza has now reached over 360, while four Israelis have been killed in revenge rocket attacks."



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Inside Story - Assault on Gaza continues (2 Part) - 29 Dec 08-

YouTube - Inside Story - Assault on Gaza continues - 29 Dec 08- Part 1:

"Israel has stepped up its attacks on Gaza for the third consecutive day on Monday. The Israeli raids have killed around 320 Gazans and wounded more than 1,400 so far. UNRWA has said that there are about 51 civilians among Gaza's casualties including 17 women and some children. Meanwhile, Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni said that 'in a war... civilians sometimes pay the price' in a sign that Israel will continue its attack until 'all goals are achieved.' On Monday: We'll discuss the Arab and international reactions to the current Israeli assault on Gaza, and what is the possible role that the Arab countries and the international community can play to end the current assault."

Part 1



Part 2


Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Monday, December 29, 2008

Norman Finkelstein: Roots of Conflict, Prospects for Peace

Norman Finkelstein - Israel and Palestine: "Title - Israel and Palestine: Roots of Conflict, Prospects for Peace
Speaker- Norman Finkelstein
Recorded in the Ford Auditorium on December 11th, 2008 at Case Western Reserve University.

Sponsored by The Hallinan Project for Peace and Social Justice"



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Over 360 killed, 1,400 wounded in Gaza bloodshed

Over 360 killed, 1,400 wounded in Gaza bloodshed:

"12-30-2008"



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Free Gaza movement to defy Gaza blockade

Free Gaza movement to defy blockade:

"12-30-2008"

Former US Congresswoman and Presidential Candidate Cynthia Mckinney is on the Aid Boat to Gaza.


Passengers List (Dignity has left Cyprus)
Source: FreeGaza
Date : 12-29-2008
(UK) Denis Healey, Captain
Captain of the Dignity, Denis has been involved with boats for 45 years, beginning with small fishing boats in Portsmouth. He learned to sail while atschool and has been part of the sea ever since. He's a certified yachtmaster and has also worked on heavy marine equipment from yachts to large dredgers. This is his fourth trip to Gaza.

(Greece) Giorgios Klontzas, Relief Captain
Cpt. Klontzas is an experienced sailor and human rights activist. This will be his fourth trip to Gaza.

(Greece) Nikolas Bolos, First Mate
Nikolas is a chemical engineer and human rights activist. He has served as a crewmember on several Free Gaza voyages, including the first one in August.

(Jordan) Othman Abu Falah
Othman is a senior producer with Al-Jazeera Television. He will remain in Gaza to report on the ongoing military onslaught.

(Australia) Renee Bowyer
Renee is a schoolteacher and human rights activist. She will remain in Gaza to do human rights monitoring and reporting.

(Ireland) Caoimhe Butterly
Caoimhe is a reknowned human rights activist and Gaza Coordinator for the Free Gaza Movement. She will be remaining in Gaza to do human rights monitoring, assist with relief efforts, and work on project development with Free Gaza.

(Cyprus) Ekaterini Christodulou
Ekaterini is a well-known and respected freelance journalist in Cyprus. She is traveling to Gaza to report on the conflict.

(Sudan) Sami El-Haj
Sami is a former detainee at Guantanamo Bay, and head of the human rights section at Al-Jazeera Television. He will remain in Gaza to report on the ongoing military onslaught.

(UK) Dr. David Halpin
Dr. Halpin is an experienced orthopaedic surgeon, medical professor, and ship's captain. He has organized humanitarian relief efforts in Gaza on several occasions with the Dove and Dolphin. He is traveling to Gaza to volunteer in hospitals and clinics.

(Germany) Dr. Mohamed Issa
Dr. Issa is a pediatric surgeon from Germany. He is traveling to Gaza to volunteer in hospitals and clinics.

(UK/Tunisia) Fathi Jaouadi
Fathi is a television producer and human rights activist. He will remain in Gaza to do human rights monitoring and reporting.

(USA) Cynthia McKinney
Cynthia is a former U.S. Congresswoman from Georgia, and the 2008 Green Party presidential candidate. She is traveling to Gaza to assess the ongoing conflict.

(Cyprus) Martha Paisi
Martha is a senior research fellow and experienced human rights activist. She is traveling to Gaza to do human rights work and to assist with humanitarian relief efforts.

(UK) Karl Penhaul
Karl Penhaul is a video correspondent for CNN, based out of Bogotá, Colombia. Appointed to this position in February 2004, he covers breaking news around the world utilizing CNN's new laptop-based 'Digital Newsgathering' system. He is traveling to Gaza to report on the ongoing conflict.

(Iraq) Thaer Shaker
Thaer is a cameraman with Al-Jazeera television. He will remain in Gaza to report on the ongoing military onslaught.

(Cyprus) Dr. Elena Theoharous, MP
Dr. Theoharous is a surgeon and a Member of the Cypriot Parliament. She is traveling to Gaza to assess the ongoing conflict, assist with humanitarian relief efforts, and volunteer in hospitals.



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Who gains from Gaza crisis?

Who gains from Gaza crisis?:

"Israel has pledged to fight Hamas to the death. Defence Minister Ehud Barack has said that the ongoing air strikes on Gaza are a war to the bitter end against Hamas militants. Four Israelis and 360 Palestinians have been killed since the attacks began on Saturday. Many in Israel are asking why now. Hamas, they say, has been firing Qassam rockets at them for eight years.

Questions are now being asked about whether the war is linked to Israeli elections, due to be held in six weeks. The early poll was called after Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was charged with corruption."



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Gaza humanitarian crisis deepening - Interview - Eva Bartlett

Gaza humanitarian crisis deepening:

"Israels deliberate targeting of civilian buildings such as mosques and universities in Gaza is deepening the humanitarian crisis in the Hamas-controlled area, says eyewitness Eva Bartlett from the International Solidarity Movement."



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Democracy Now 12/29/2008: Gaza Headlines

Democracy Now 12/29/2008: Gaza Headlines:

"Over 310 Palestinians Killed in Israeli Attack on Gaza * Israel: International Community Should Condemn Hamas * Hamas Accuses Israel of Causing a Holocaust * UN Calls for Immediate Halt to All Violence' * US Officials Back Israeli Attack"



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Bombing of pharmacy in Rafah, Gaza Strip - 28th December 2008

Bombing of pharmacy in Rafah, Gaza Strip - 28th December 2008:

"Shortly before 7:00am local time, yet another Israeli missile strike hit the residential neighbourhood of Hi Alijnina in the southern Gaza town of Rafah. This time a pharmacy was targeted, totally destroying the building and causing severe damage to surrounding homes. Electricity lines were torn down during the blast and the street was littered with medicines. This footage was filmed within minutes of the attack as fire fighters battled to control the blaze. Shocked residents poured into the streets, some still wearing pyjamas. Some of them are interviewed in this film."



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Democracy Now! | Israeli Attacks Kill Over 310 in Gaza in One of Israel's Bloodiest Attacks on Palestinians Since 1948

Democracy Now! | Israeli Attacks Kill Over 310 in Gaza in One of Israel's Bloodiest Attacks on Palestinians Since 1948:

"Amidst worldwide protests, Israel is continuing its bombing campaign against Gaza for the third consecutive day and preparing to launch a possible ground invasion. Following months of a crippling blockade, this has been described as one of Israel’s bloodiest attacks on Palestinians since 1948. Latest reports indicate that 310 people have been killed and 1,400 injured in the aerial strikes across the Gaza Strip since Saturday morning. The latest targets of the air strikes include the Hamas Interior Ministry building and the Islamic University. Israel’s Defense Minister Ehud Barak announced today that Israel is in an “all-out war with Hamas and its proxies” in Gaza. Fears of a ground invasion are growing after Israel declared a military buffer zone around Gaza, closing off the strip and its 1.5 million residents to journalists and civilians.

We speak to Dr. Moussa El-Haddad and Fida Qishta in Gaza, Dr. Mustafa Barghouti in Ramallah, Gideon Levy in Tel Aviv and Ali Abunimah in the US."

Part 1/5


Part 2/5


Part 3/5


Part 4/5


Part 5/5




Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Israeli brutality continues for the third consecutive day

Israeli brutality continues for the third consecutive day:

"PressTv Report"



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

UN Calls for Israel to Open Gaza Border to Aid

UN Calls for Israel to Open Gaza Border to Aid:

"United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon is calling for Israel and Hamas to halt all acts of violence. He also called for Israel to address the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza strip. (Dec. 29)"



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Israel pounds Gaza for a third consecutive day - 29 Dec 08

Israel pounds Gaza for a third consecutive day - 29 Dec 08:

"Israeli jets are again bombing targets in the Gaza Strip. The air assualt is now into a third day. Warships have also been involved in the attacks, shelling the area around Gaza's port.

The death toll in Gaza has risen to 318. A UN agency says at least 51 of those victims were civilians.

Despite the onslaught, the Palestinian resistance continues. Rockets fired from Gaza have killed one person and injured seven in the city of Ashkelon.

Roza Ibragimova reports."



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Inside story- Israeli violence in Gaza - 28 Dec 08 - (2 Parts)

Inside story- Israeli violence in Gaza - 28 Dec 08 - Part 1:

"Over 280 Gazans have been killed and over 600 wounded in israeli surgical air strikes on Gaza. The number of casualties is keeping increase."

Part 1


Part 2


Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Israel Air Strike on Gaza on 28 Dec 2008

Israel Air Strike on Gaza on 28 Dec 2008 Episode 2:

"More than 300 Palestinians have been killed in three consecutive days of aerial bombardment in the heavily-populated territory.

Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, has blamed Hamas!! for triggering Israel's deadly raids on Gaza, by not extending a six-month truce with the Jewish state."



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Diana Buttu on Gaza Attack

Diana Buttu on Gaza:

"Al-Arz Productions"



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

28th December attack on Gaza Strip - bombings in Rafah continue

28th December attack on Gaza Strip - bombings in Rafah continue:

"Shortly before 7:00am local time, yet another Israeli missile strike hit the residential neighbourhood of Hi Alijnina in the southern Gaza town of Rafah. This time a pharmacy was targeted, totally destroying the building and causing severe damage to surrounding homes. Electricity lines were torn down during the blast and the street was littered with medicines. This footage was filmed within minutes of the attack as fire fighters battled to control the blaze. Shocked residents poured into the streets, some still wearing pyjamas."



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Israeli army kill Arafat Khawaje (22) as Ni'lin demonstrate in solidarity with Gaza

Israeli army kill Arafat Khawaje (22) as Ni'lin demonstrate in solidarity with Gaza:

"Israeli forces have killed one Palestinian man from Nilin, while another is in critical condition, as they opened fire on a demonstration against the Israeli massacre of the people of Gaza.

Arafat Rateb Khawaje, 22 years old, was shot in the back with live ammunition, he died at 2:45pm in Ramallah Hospital

Mohammed Kasim Khawaje, 20 years old, was shot in the forehead with live ammunition from close range. He remains in critical condition in Ramallah hospital."




Funeral of Arafat al Khawaje killed by the Israeli army while he was demonstrating in solidarity with Gaza:

"29th December 2008 - The funeral of Arafat al Khawaje from Ni'lin, who was shot with live ammunition by the Israeli army while he was demonstrating on his own land in solidarity with the people of Gaza"



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

UN calls for ceasefire in Gaza

UN calls for ceasefire in Gaza:

"Following a long night of diplomatic effort the UN Security Council has issued a pre-statement calling for an immediate cease of military action in Gaza."



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

ISM Gaza Strip: Israel attacks Rafah as Palestinian death-toll approaches 300

ISM Gaza Strip: Israel attacks Rafah as Palestinian death-toll approaches 300:

"28th December 2008 - Israeli air-strikes on the Palestinian city of Rafah in Gaza."

Related News Item:
Two People Killed as Smuggling Tunnels Destroyed in Renewed Israeli Air Raids
Source: IMEMC
Date: Sunday December 28, 2008 19:15

Renewed Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip this evening resulted in the death of two people, and the injury of at least twenty others, medics and witnesses reported.

Israeli warplanes this afternoon raided the Egyptian-Palestinian border lines in the southern Gaza Strip, destroying scores of underground tunnels used by Palestinians to bring in essential goods that a prolonged Israeli closure has made scarce.

Medics said that pillars of smoke filled the sky as some of the tunnels that were hit had been used to bring in gasoline from nearby Egypt. Many of the people on the border line with Egypt escaped the fire to the Egyptian side of the border, witnesses said. Witnesses added that Egyptian security personnel opened fire towards the crowds, causing the many Palestinians to be injured.

Also, Israel sealed off the Rafah crossing terminal following the incidents, after it was reopened yesterday to let wounded cross. A few hours later, Israeli warplanes attacked three other targets; a Hamas-run security post, a car and an apartment. Witnesses in Gaza city said that the attacks hit the post and an apartment in the Tal-Alhawa neighborhood, while the third attack struck a car on the outskirts of the Nuseirat Refugee camp in central Gaza.

Commander of the Gaza region in the Israeli Army, Moshe Livy, was quoted by Israeli media sources saying that the army operations in Gaza will continue without a specific timetable. He added that the operations are aimed to undermine the infrastructure of the Hamas party in Gaza in order to stop what he called "firing homemade rockets from Gaza into nearby Israeli towns." Meanwhile, medics said that for the past couple of days Israeli attacks on Gaza have claimed the lives of about 292 Palestinians and have wounded more than 1000 others, including 180 critically.



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Israeli air raids on the Gaza Strip continue - 28 Dec 08

Israeli air raids on the Gaza Strip continue - 28 Dec 08:

Note: Abbas Wears the Wrong Flag (and I'm not talking about Egypt's flag)

"For a second day, Israeli aircraft have pounded what they say are Hamas targets in Gaza. The death toll has risen to at least 280, among them women and children.

Hamas has vowed not to cave in, but Israel's operation could soon escalate. Tanks have massed at the Gazan border, and Ehud Olmert's office says military reservists are being mobilised.

The UN Security Council has demanded an immediate end to the violence, and Egypt is trying to broker a ceasefire. But the airs raids are continuing, as Clayton Swisher reports."



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

UN blasts Israel over Gaza massacre

UN blasts Israel over Gaza massacre:

"The UN Security Council is holding a closed emergency session in New York to discuss the latest Israeli attacks on Gaza."



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Gaza's hospitals struggle with casualties - 28 Dec 08

Gaza's hospitals struggle with casualties - 28 Dec 08:

"Gazan civilians are being sent to hospitals which are working on a makeshift basis due to poor medical supplies amid the Israeli siege on the territory. Services are struggling to cope. Al Jazeera's Ayman Mohyeldin reports."



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Saturday, December 27, 2008

How Israel's massive onslaught on Gaza began

How Israel's massive onslaught on Gaza began:

"27.12.08. Israeli F-16 bombers have pounded key targets across the Gaza Strip, killing at least 225 people."



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Israel Murders Mother and her 4 Children

Israel Murders Mother and her 4 Children:

"Israeli attacks lead to death and destruction. Justifications are pointless and useless noise."



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Bombing in Rafah - 27th December attack on Gaza Strip

27th December attack on Gaza Strip - bombing in Rafah:

"A massive Israeli military operation began throughout the Gaza Strip today. Multiple Isreali air strikes hit many different areas this morning and continued sporadically throughout the day. Attacks targeted police stations and security bases, but spilled over into civilian areas. The destruction was widespread. At the time of writing over 200 people have been killed with the death toll still rising. Hundreds of people have been injured, many severely.

These images were filmed shortly after one of the bombings in the southern Gaza town of Rafah. They show the devastation at the site of a police station in the Hi Alijnina neighbourhood which was hit at approximately 11:30am local time. There were also missile strikes in the Tel Al Sultan, Moraj and Mashrua districts of Rafah. This assault occured during the busy weekly market in Rafah and as school sessions were ending, so the streets were crowded and full of children.

Some of the walking wounded were interviewed at the Al Najar Hospital in Rafah. This basic local facility was massively overstretched, the atmosphere chaotic. Serious cases were transferred to the European Hospital in Khan Younis. Hospital mortuaries could not cope with the level of fatalities, many of which were described as arriving in pieces."



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

RAW FOOTAGE: PALESTINIANS MASSACRED BY ISRAEL IN GAZA - Warning Graphic Content

RAW FOOTAGE: 200 PALESTINIAN CIVILIANS MASSACRED BY ISRAEL IN GAZA:

"RAW FOOTAGE"
Note: Latest reports from Gaza put the number of those killed at 210 and the injured at more than 500. It is expected that the number of killed may rise to 355 due to severe injuries, lack of medicine and medical equipment in Gaza and to the fact that many are still buried under the rubble.



The above Video was deleted by YouTube



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Israel launches missile attacks on Gaza - 27 Dec 08

Israel launches missile attacks on Gaza - 27 Dec 08:

"It is, according to Israel, just the beginning.

A wave of missile attacks on the Gaza Strip, which began on Saturday morning, bombarded security compounds belonging to Hamas, which controls the coastal territory.

Clayton Swisher reports."



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Hamas press conference after Israeli Gaza strikes - 27 Dec08

Hamas press conference after Israeli Gaza strikes - 27 Dec08:

"Taher al-Noono, a Hamas spokesman, speaks to reporters in Gaza following Israeli airstrikes which killed more than 155 people and wounded more than 200 others."



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

BBC - Multiple Israeli Missile Air Strikes In Gaza!

Multiple Israeli Missile Air Strikes In Gaza!:

http://cspanjunkie.org/
"December 27, 2008 BBC World"



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

RT - At least 155 people killed as Israel launches air strikes on Gaza

Israel launches air strikes on Gaza:

"At least 155 people are reported to have been killed and more than 200 injured after Israel launched air strikes on Gaza city. The action targeting Hamas has caused widespread destruction and civilian casualties. It comes just a week after the collapse of a truce between Palestinian militants and Israel."



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Israel Launches Massive Bombardment Of Gaza

Israel Launches Massive Bombardment Of Gaza:

"WARNING: This video contains graphic images which some may find disturbing. Viewer discretion is advised."



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Number of victims in IOF massacre in Gaza rises to 155 ...

Number of victims in IOF massacre in Gaza rises to 155 ...:

"GAZA, (PIC)-- The Israeli occupation forces' raids on the Gaza Strip on Saturday claimed the lives of 155 Palestinians and wounded 200 others, tens of them in serious conditions, medical sources reported.

Muawiya Hasanien, the director of ambulance and emergency in the health ministry, said that the number could rise as the Israeli intensified raids did not cease and there could be many other victims still under the rubble.

Reports said that Tawfik Jabr, the commander of the Palestinian police, and Abu Ahmed Ashur, the governor of the central district, in the Gaza Strip were among the dead.

Angry demonstrations were seen in various West Bank cities immediately after news of the bloody raids were broadcast along with the horrifying images of the bloodbath.

However, the Israeli premier's office said that the air strikes were just the beginning and that other strikes would follow, the quality of which is left to Israeli chief of staff Gabi Ashkenazi to decide.

Ashkenazi was quoted by the Hebrew press as saying, 'The military has to study the strike's results before deciding on the next stage of the assault'."



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Friday, December 26, 2008

Inside Story - The future of Gaza - Dec 25 - (2 Parts)

Inside Story - The future of Gaza - Dec 25 - Part 1:

"Israeli leaders pledge the elimination of Hamas and an end to its hold on Palestinian government institutions. As the truce collapses, what lies ahead for the Gaza strip and 1.5 million desperate Palestinians trapped inside?"

Related Reports:
Beware the Israeli Attacks
by Palestinian National Initiative
Source: Palestine Monitor

Ramallah, 22/12/08. Even before the official end to the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, Israel began initiating a public relations campaign, aimed at both their own people and the international community, which would 'prepare us all' for the eventual military assault on the tiny, besieged Strip.

Though to many, it may seem cynical that Israel would consider a dramatic increase in violence against Gaza while the eyes of the world are on the little city of Bethlehem, one should keep recent history in mind.

In the past Israel has staged incursions into the Occupied Territories when the attention of the world and the press are elsewhere. Only in this scenario will the world's fourth largest military power be allowed to attack the world's most densely populated and desperate population, with overwhelming force, without the risk of widespread condemnation.

We believe that the public relations campaign of Israel is not an exercise, and that there are talks going on at all levels concerning the possibility of a full-scale invasion and reoccupation of the Strip. We believe that such an attack would result in the deaths of hundreds if not thousands of innocent Palestinian men, women and children, and cause a lot of pain and suffering for both sides.

One death is too many, and in the spirit of Christmas we urge the international community to step in to prevent such a crisis from occurring while our eyes are averted. Furthermore, we urge the international community to begin taking proactive steps to ending the siege of the Gaza Strip, so that those hundreds that we may save today, do not die tomorrow by the negligence of basic human rights.

Mustafa Barghouthi MP,
Secretary General of the Palestinian National Initiative

What they said on Gaza:

« Israel maintains its Gaza siege in its full fury, allowing only barely enough food and fuel to enter to stave off mass famine and disease. Such a policy of collective punishment (…) constitutes a continuing flagrant and massive violation of international humanitarian law.

Protective action must be taken immediately to offset the persisting and wide-ranging violations of the fundamental human right to life, and in view of the emergency situation that is producing a humanitarian catastrophe that is unfolding day by day. (…) It is time to act. At the very least, an urgent effort should be made at the United Nations to implement the agreed norm of a 'responsibility to protect' a civilian population being collectively punished by policies that amount to a Crime Against Humanity."

Current United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the oPt, Richard Falk

"By remaining silent, the international community is conniving with Israel and complicit in the destruction of the lives of children, women and civilians. "

Mairead Maguire, Irish Nobel Price Laureate,

'Gaza is a prison and Israel seems to have thrown away the key.'

United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights, John Dugard

Gaza : Quick Background

Gaza: The Facts

- Total Population: 1,500,202

- Population Density: 4117 per sq km

- Fertility Rate: 5.19 children/woman

- Total Refugees: 1,059,584

- Refugees as % of Population: 70%

- Unemployment: 45.5%

- Average Age: 17.2 years - some estimates have put the median age at 15.3.

- Life Expectancy: 73.16 years

- % of the population dependant on foreign aid: 86%

A constant crisis

The Gaza Strip has been facing a humanitarian crisis ever since April of 2006, when border closings and the lack of foreign aid caused a severe shortage of fuel, foods and medical care. Gazans suffer shortages of essential commodities and the rise in market prices has made it difficult for families to have an adequate, healthy and balanced diet.

The Karni crossing, which serves as the main conduit for commercial goods into Gaza, has been closed since June 13th, 2007. This has devastated the Gazan economy. "In June 2007, there were 748 truckloads of exports leaving Gaza for Israel and other countries. A month later there were none".

In Gaza over 80% of Palestinians are now depending on foreign aid compared to 63% of 2006. Unemployment in Gaza is close to 40% and is set to rise to 50%. The private sector – that generates 53% of all jobs in Gaza is crumbling.

The health sector remains unstable as the severe lack of fuel causes power cuts. According to the July 2007,UNRWA Gaza Situation Report, primary and secondary health care facilities are still functioning de-spite shortages of electricity and supplies such as X-ray film, laboratory kits, patient beds and examination tables. However there are ongoing shortages of chronic disease drugs and anaesthetics, and a considerable portion of equipment and machines are out of order, overloading the remaining capacity of hospitals. 160 types of medicine have already run out in Gaza due to the blockade. Supplies of another 130 will run out soon and at least 90 medical equipment, including 31 dialysis machines, are out of order.

WHO reports that at least 51 people have died from October 2007-July 2008 as a direct result of not being able to access medical care outside Gaza – among these were 11 children.

The fuel shortage and the lack of spare parts required to repair and upgrade Gaza's wastewater treatment plants have forced the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility to continue dumping approximately 84,000 m3 of raw and partially treated sewage into the Mediterranean Sea each day. Observers highlighted the imminent disaster of sewage flood in the Northern Gaza Strip. If measures are not taken soon, there will be a huge sanitation crisis.



Part 1



Part 2



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Mosaic News - Fresh Violence Breaks Out on Israel-Gaza Border, Assad: Direct Peace Negotiations With Israel Are Possible 12/24/08

Mosaic News - 12/24/08: World News From The Middle East

'Fresh Violence Breaks Out on Israel-Gaza Border,' Al Jazeera TV, Qatar 00:00
'Assad: Direct Peace Negotiations With Israel Are Possible,' Abu Dhabi TV, UAE 04:00
'Piracy is a Way of Life in Somalia,' Al Arabiya TV, UAE 08:10
'Iran-Malaysia Relations Strengthen,' Al-Alam TV, Iran 10:10
'Combating Corruption in Iraq,' Al-Iraqiya TV, Iraq 12:55
'Largest Christmas Tree in Jordan,' Jordan TV, Jordan 15:20
'Pilgrims Flock into Bethlehem,' Dubai TV, UAE 18:35
'The Middle East in 2009,' Link TV, USA 21:15

Produced for Link Tv by Jamal Dajani."



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Gaza's trapped Christians struggle to celebrate - 25 Dec 08

Gaza's trapped Christians struggle to celebrate - 25 Dec 08:

"Christians from across the world are flocking to what is believed to be the birthplace of Jesus, in Bethlehem.
But with all the Gaza crossings shut by Israel, Christian families there have to apply for permission to leave first.

Sherine Tadros visited one of the many families not allowed to make the pilgrimage."



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Landscapes of Occupation in Palestine

Landscapes of Occupation in Palestine:

"Ex-Communicated tells the story of Israeli occupation in Palestine through the genre of landscape and the perspective of a camera lens. In his series of remarkable photographs, Gary Fields, a professor of communication at the University of California, San Diego takes us behind the walls, gates, and fences of this deliberately fragmented geography in revealing Palestinian life under Israeli military rule. What he shows in these images is how the forces of occupation use the landscape as an instrument of control over Palestinians and a mechanism for dispossessing them of land and property. Much of this story is untold and largely unseen. These photos convey forcefully how the process of enclosure on the landscape has “ex-communicated” Palestinians, immobilizing them into ever-diminishing spaces, while at the same time inspiring them into heroic acts of peaceful resistance."



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Bethlehem: Christmass 2008

Bethlehem: Christmass 2008:

"A short film featuring a Palestinian Christian family during Christmas of 2008. The film is fully produced by IMEMC video Production Unit.

bethlehem, christmas, 2008, nativity, church, Ayyad, Beit Sahour, Christians, Palestine, Palestinian, Israel, wall, occupation, family"



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Forbidden Land - Adalah

Forbidden Land - Adalah:

"In this new short documentary, Adalah joins Palestinian Arab families from Lajoun and Nazareth in their fight to regain Adalah joins Palestinian Arab families from Lajoun and Nazareth"



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Palestinians in Syria plead with UN to end Gaza siege

Palestinians in Syria plead with UN to end Gaza siege:

"PressTv Report"



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Palestinians in Bethlehem face eviction - 24 Dec 08

Palestinians in Bethlehem face eviction - 24 Dec 08: "Palestinian Christians living in Bethlehem could be spending their last Christmas in their hometown.

They live next to Jewish settlements and that means they also face the constant threat of eviction by the Israeli authorities.

Al Jazeera's Nour Odeh reports."



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Israeli Soldiers Attack UN Employee

Israeli Soldiers Attack UN Employee:

"Israeli Soldiers attack UN employee at Kalendia Checkpoint on the last Friday of Ramadan 2008."



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

A Talk on Israel-Palestine by Norman G. Finkelstein (7 parts)

A Talk on Israel-Palestine by Norman G. Finkelstein 1/7:

A Talk on Israel-Palestine by Norman G. Finkelstein - University of Exeter, U.K.
Nov. 12, 2008

Part 1/7



Part 2/7


Part 3/7


Part 4/7


Part 5/7


Part 6/7


Part 7/7


Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Monday, December 22, 2008

International activists break the siege, deliver medical aid to Gaza

International activists delivering medical aid to Gaza:

"http://www.euronews.net/

A fifth boat carrying humanitarian activists arrives to the Gaza Strip, loaded with aid and baby food."

Dignity Returns with Qatari Dignitaries
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Source:FreeGaza
Date : 12-21-2008

For More Information, please contact:
(Gaza) Ewa Jasiewicz, +970 598 700 497 / freelance@mailworks.org
(Gaza) Huwaida Arraf, +970 599 130 426 / Huwaida.Arraf@gmail.com
(Cyprus) Greta Berlin, +357 99 081 767 / Iristulip@gmail.com

(Gaza Port, Gaza, 21 December 2008) At ll:00 am on Tuesday, December 22, the DIGNITY will pull into the port of Larnaca carrying several Palestinians out of Gaza as well as the two envoys from the Qatari charity.

Alaze Al-Qahtani and Talal Al-Qutaibi of the Eid Charity from Qatar were on a two-day mission to Gaza to determine how their charity can work with their Palestinian colleagues to improve the lives of the beleaguered population.

While in Gaza, Talal Al-Qutaibi said, "We are calling on all Qatari people to join forces to break this terrible siege on Gaza. We also call for a general mass mobilization to break the siege. And we very much want to bring a ship of supplies in and will be working hard to arrange this voyage soon. "

When the Dignity entered the waters of Gaza, it was not stopped at sea and was never searched by the Israeli Navy. According to Neta Golan, one of the Israelis on board, "They contacted us by radio and asked us to turn back, OR they would board and take off the two Israelis on board. We refused and said we were going to Gaza. The Israeli Navy did nothing."

We expect that the Israeli Navy will do nothing on our return as well.

Also traveling from Gaza are four Palestinians who have been denied their right to leave, even though they have citizenship from other countries. They hope to rejoin family members they have not seen for years.

###########
The Free Gaza Movement, a human rights group, sent two boats to Gaza in August 2008. These were the first international boats to land in the port in 41 years. Since August, four more voyages were successful, taking Parliamentarians, human rights workers, and other dignitaries to witness the effects of Israel's draconian policies on the civilians of Gaza.


Qatari Ship Against the Israeli Siege Leaves Gaza
Source: IMEMC
Date: Monday December 22, 2008 04:32

The Free Gaza Movement reported on Sunday that the Qatari ship, the first Arab solidarity boat to break the Israeli siege, sailed out of Gaza after activists onboard spent 48 hours delivering humanitarian supplies, and observing the negative and devastating effects of the unjust Israeli siege.

The activists visited relief organizations and educational facilities in the coastal region. Fifteen Qatari nationals and international peace activists were onboard the ship.

The visiting delegates also observed the situation at the Gaza Port in order to prepare plans for rehabilitation and development. They also observed the conditions of the health sector, which collapsed due to the ongoing Israeli siege, and weighed the means to rehabilitate it.

On their way back, the activists carried a number of projects to be presented to the government of Qatar, and Qatari institutions in an attempt to collect aid to implement them.

Five Palestinians struck in Gaza managed to leave the region onboard the ship.

The Free Gaza Movement also vowed to organize further visits to support Gaza and its residents.

Jamal El Khodary, head of the Popular Committee Against the Siege, said that the ship left Gaza, but the area remains isolated, the crossings remain closed, and the conditions are continuously deteriorating.

“This requires more efforts from the Arab, Islamic and international countries”, EL Khodary said, “They all need to act to end this siege”.

He also stated that more ships will sail to Gaza until the siege if fully lifted, and called on the Arab and Islamic world to practice the needed pressure on the Israeli occupation to end the siege.

El Khodary thanked Qatar and its people for their efforts against the siege and their support to the residents in the Gaza Strip. He added that more efforts are essential to break this unjust siege.
----
Popular Committee Against Siege

Popular Committee Against Siege (PCAS) is a popular committee established in Gaza Strip on the 25th October 2007, headed by independent Palestinian MP. Eng. Jamal Naji AL-Khodri. The launch of PCAS comes as a step to face the recent siege imposed by Israeli Occupation.

The establishment Chart of the committee assert on serving the Gaza Strip civilians and alleviating siege ramifications and burdens on people's lives. PCAS is a pure popular gathering of thinkers, well-educated, expert people as well as NGO's. We serve and help harmed people far from any political or factional affiliation.

ISRAEL-OPT: UNRWA suspends food distribution in Gaza
Source: IRIN
GAZA CITY, 19 December 2008 (IRIN) - The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) was forced to suspend its emergency and regular food distribution services in the Gaza Strip without warning on 18 December, due to the continued closure of all commercial and passenger border crossings.

Wheat supplies scheduled to arrive in Gaza on 9-10 December were unable to enter, and UNRWA had exhausted all stocks of flour in its warehouses due to the crisis.

“The food distribution programmes are suspended until further notice,” said UNRWA spokesperson Jamal Hamed in Gaza. “As soon as Israel allows us to import food we will resume.”

Some 750,000 refugees out of a population of 1.5 million Palestinians living in Gaza depend on food aid from UNRWA.

On average, the UN agency distributes food to about 20,000 refugees per day, including rice, cooking oil, flour, tinned meat and milk.

“UNRWA was able to import an average of 20 trucks of humanitarian assistance per day into Gaza last month, while a minimum of 50 are required to cover their basic assistance,” said Hamed.

Israel sealed commercial and passenger border crossings to Gaza on 4 November, when an Israeli military incursion into Gaza prompted Palestinian militants to resume daily rocket-fire into neighbouring Israeli towns. A five-month Egyptian-brokered ceasefire had been largely holding.

Israel has restricted imports into Gaza, including food, fuel, medical supplies and other basic necessities despite the truce, which calls on militants to halt rocket attacks in return for Israel easing its embargo on the territory.

Ceasefire set to end on 19 December

“The ceasefire between Hamas and Israel officially ends on 19 December,” said Hamas spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum, adding: “We [Hamas] bear the responsibility of defending our people if Israel attacks”.

“Thousands in Gaza depend on the UN for basic assistance in Gaza. This will increase the burden on the Hamas government to provide for people,” said Hamas political leader Ghazi Hamad - though the government has no alternatives while the crossings are closed.

At a speech at Hamas’s 21st anniversary rally in Gaza City on 14 December, Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh noted the US$55 million in emergency assistance the Hamas government had provided to 10,000 families, fishermen and students in 2008. However, “there is no official budget for 2009, and it will not be enough,” said Hamad.

Tunnels

The alternatives for the civilian population living in Gaza are grim.

It has been almost a month since greengrocer Mohammed Abu Amra received fruit and vegetables from Israel. He gets fruit via the tunnels along the Gaza-Egypt border but the deliveries are sporadic and “the goods from Egypt cost double,” said Abu Amra.

Apples are shipped from China to Egypt, and then make their way to Gaza via tunnel.

“Vegetables are available in Gaza, but there is not enough and they lack preservatives,” said Abu Amra. He is making less than half the profit he was two years ago, before Hamas won the legislative council elections.


*****
Israel's 'crime against humanity'
Chris Hedges, TruthDig.com, Dec 16, 2008

Israel's siege of Gaza, largely unseen by the outside world because of Jerusalem's refusal to allow humanitarian aid workers, reporters and photographers access to Gaza, rivals the most egregious crimes carried out at the height of apartheid by the South African regime. It comes close to the horrors visited on Sarajevo by the Bosnian Serbs. It has disturbing echoes of the Nazi ghettos of Lodz and Warsaw.

"This is a stain on what is left of Israeli morality," I was told by Richard N. Veits, the former U.S. ambassador to Jordan who led a delegation from the Council on Foreign Relations to Gaza to meet Hamas leaders this past summer. "I am almost breathless discussing this subject. It is so myopic. Washington, of course, is a handmaiden to all this. The Israeli manipulation of a population in this manner is comparable to some of the crimes that took place against civilian populations fifty years ago."

The U.N. special rapporteur for human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory, former Princeton University law professor Richard Falk, calls what Israel is doing to the 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza "a crime against humanity." Falk, who is Jewish, has condemned the collective punishment of the Palestinians in Gaza as "a flagrant and massive violation of international humanitarian law as laid down in Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention." He has asked for "the International Criminal Court to investigate the situation, and determine whether the Israeli civilian leaders and military commanders responsible for the Gaza siege should be indicted and prosecuted for violations of international criminal law."

Falk, while condemning the rocket attacks by the militant group Hamas, which he points out are also criminal violations of international law, goes on to say that "such Palestinian behavior does not legalize Israel's imposition of a collective punishment of a life- and health-threatening character on the people of Gaza, and should not distract the U.N. or international society from discharging their fundamental moral and legal duty to render protection to the Palestinian people."

"It is an unfolding humanitarian catastrophe that each day poses the entire 1.5 million Gazans to an unspeakable ordeal, to a struggle to survive in terms of their health," Falk said when I reached him by phone in California shortly before he left for Israel. "This is an increasingly precarious condition. A recent study reports that 46 percent of all Gazan children suffer from acute anemia. There are reports that the sonic booms associated with Israeli overflights have caused widespread deafness, especially among children. Gazan children need thousands of hearing aids. Malnutrition is extremely high in a number of different dimensions and affects 75 percent of Gazans. There are widespread mental disorders, especially among young people without the will to live. Over 50 percent of Gazan children under the age of 12 have been found to have no will to live."

“This is a crime of survival,” Falk said of the rocket attacks. “Israel has put the Gazans in a set of circumstances where they either have to accept whatever is imposed on them or resist in any way available to them. That is a horrible dilemma to impose upon a people. This does not alleviate the Palestinians, and Gazans in particular, for accountability for doing these acts involving rocket fire, but it also imposes some responsibility on Israel for creating these circumstances.”

Israel seeks to break the will of the Palestinians to resist. The Israeli government has demonstrated little interest in diplomacy or a peaceful solution. The rapid expansion of Jewish settlements on the West Bank is an effort to thwart the possibility of a two-state solution by gobbling up vast tracts of Palestinian real estate. Israel also appears to want to thrust the impoverished Gaza Strip onto Egypt. There are now dozens of tunnels, the principal means for food and goods, connecting Gaza to Egypt. Israel permits the tunnels to operate, most likely as part of an effort to further cut Gaza off from Israel.

“Israel, all along, has not been prepared to enter into diplomatic process that gives the Palestinians a viable state,” Falk said. “They [the Israelis] feel time is on their side. They feel they can create enough facts on the ground so people will come to the conclusion a viable state cannot emerge.”

The use of terror and hunger to break a hostile population is one of the oldest forms of warfare. I watched the Bosnian Serbs employ the same tactic in Sarajevo. Those who orchestrate such sieges do not grasp the terrible rage born of long humiliation, indiscriminate violence and abuse. A father or a mother whose child dies because of a lack of vaccines or proper medical care does not forget. A boy whose ill grandmother dies while detained at an Israel checkpoint does not forget. All who endure humiliation, abuse and the murder of family members do not forget. This rage becomes a virus within those who, eventually, stumble out into the daylight. Is it any wonder that 71 percent of children interviewed at a school in Gaza recently said they wanted to be a “martyr”?

The Israelis in Gaza, like the American forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, are foolishly breeding the next generation of militants and Islamic radicals. Jihadists, enraged by the injustices done by Israel and the United States, seek to carry out reciprocal acts of savagery, even at the cost of their own lives. The violence unleashed on Palestinian children will, one day, be the violence unleashed on Israeli children. This is the tragedy of Gaza. This is the tragedy of Israel.


Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Israel sentences the speaker of the Palestinian parliament to three years in prison

Israel jails Hamas politician | Video | Reuters.com: "Israel jails Hamas politician
(01:19) Report

Israel sentences Palestinian political prisoner
Press release, Al Mezan, 17 December 2008

An Israeli military court sentenced Dr. Aziz Dweik, the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) Speaker, to three years in prison, two years of suspended imprisonment, and a New Israel Shekel 6,000 (USD 1,500) bail.

Israeli Occupation Forces arrested Dr. Dweik on Saturday 6 August 2006 in the midst of a campaign of arrests that targeted dozens of ministers and elected officials. On 29 June 2006 alone, IOF arrested eight ministers and 21 PLC members. The arrests came in the aftermath of the capturing of an Israeli soldier in an attack on a military post near Gaza on 25 June 2006.

Al Mezan Center for Human Rights strongly condemns the sentencing of Dr. Dweik by a military court that lacks the minimum standards of fair trial. Dr. Dweik's arrest and sentence are owed to political reasons, and not criminal.

Al Mezan reiterates its condemnation of the detention of Palestinian lawmakers and government officials, who, according to the Israeli government, were confined in order to be used as "bargaining chips." These arrests engender Israel's disregard of the protections provided by international law for civilians under occupation.

Therefore, Al Mezan Center calls on the international community to intervene urgently and effectively to ensure the release of Dr. Dweik and scores of other Palestinian prisoners who are held by Israel contrary to international law. The international community is under an obligation to ensure protection for civilians in accordance with international law and human rights standards.



Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog