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Headlines : Human RightsThe grim reality in Gaza
In the densely-populated region starved of medical supplies, and now facing the shutdown of clinics, Gazan citizens have been given a death sentence with Israel’s control over borders. Yahya Al Jamal 53, one case among hundreds of people, has cancer and is in serious need of medical care at well-equipped hospitals. For more than two months now he has been refused entry to Israel for treatment. His agonized father reported that his son will die in the coming days if he does not get the medication he needs, an outcome of Israel’s mass denial of the luxury of critical healthcare.
From the intense heat of summer months, where water was scarce and air conditioning a fantasy, Gazans now experience the bitter cold in the same homes unprepared for extremes, and the bitter realization that, once again, they have been left to the whims of imprisonment, Israeli air and ground attacks, and a staggering invisibility in the international realm.
[Posted By Szamko]Republished from New Statesman
Traffic in the Gaza Strip slowed to a trickle last week, and this week medical centres have scaled back treatment in the medicines and sustenance-destitute Strip.
“Israel’s decision is a death penalty: our reserve of fuel is almost zero and it may very likely run out by the end of today,” said Khaled Radi, Ministry of Health spokesman for the dismissed Hamas government.
Radi spoke in reference to the 30 November Israeli Supreme Court decision to allow further fuel cutbacks, severe reductions which are crippling Gaza’s residents in all aspects of life. Prior to that ruling, as early as October Israel decided to begin limiting fuel, with Gaza soon after enduring serious cuts of over 50% of fuel needs, a dire statistic confirmed by the UN body OCHA.
Posted by Szamko
Just tries to tell the truth.
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Posted by Szamko on Thursday, December 6th 2007
Questions of Logic and Activism
The UN World Food Program estimates that, in the wake of Israel’s cutoffs,“Food imports into the Gaza Strip are only enough to meet 41 percent of demand,” (paraphrase by the UN-sponsored news agency, IRIN. IRIN, Jerusalem, “Only 41 percent of Gaza’s food import needs being met,” 6 December 2007), ie. Gazan food intake has been cut by a shocking 59 percent.
Even a small cut in food consumption can stunt or kill already hungry people, particularly infants in the brain-development stage.
Israel’s government says that its sanctions are legal — ie. are not a disproportionate reprisal, which is a war crime — so it is logically saying that these food and other cutoffs are not worse than the Gazan rocketing of Israel.
So, if that is the case, Israel should be willing to agree to a simple switch: Gaza gets the power and right to effectively cut off 59% of Israel’s food (as well as being able to shut its electricity, fuel, communications, medical supplies, travel rights, airspace etc.), and Israel gets the right to rocket Gaza as Gaza has rocketed Israel, ie. in a manner that has killed Israeli civilians at the rate of roughly one every four months.
Lest we forget
119 Israeli children have been killed by Palestinians and 971 Palestinian children have been killed by Israelis since September 29, 2000.
3 to 4 times more Palestinians have been killed than Israelis.
1,027 Israelis and at least 4,345 Palestinians have been killed since September 29, 2000.
7,633 Israelis and 31,531 Palestinians have been injured since September 29, 2000.
The U.S. gives more than $7,023,288 per day to the Israeli government and military and gives no money to the Palestinians.
over $7 million US per DAY
these Israssholes—all they know is war and death. i don’t pretend to know all about this eternal conflict, but I do know this—ANY other state engaged in such perpetual aggression ( and against a foe so much weaker and enfeebled by comparison) should be wiped off the map, or at the very least humiliated and filled with shame and regret.