(Amnesty Int'l) Israeli army blocks deliveries to Gaza

[Scurrilous]

14 November 2008

The Israeli army has completely blocked the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian aid and medical supplies to the Gaza Strip for more than a week. Very little fuel has been allowed in. Amnesty International urged the Israeli authorities on Friday to allow their immediate passage.

"This latest tightening of the Israeli blockade has made an already dire humanitarian situation markedly worse. It is nothing short of collective punishment on Gaza's civilian population and it must stop immediately," said Philip Luther, Deputy Director of Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Programme.

Eighty per cent of the population of Gaza has been dependent on the trickle of humanitarian aid previously allowed into Gaza until Wednesday, 5 November. Industrial fuel, which is donated by the European Union and needed to power Gaza's power plant, has also been blocked, causing a blackout in large parts of Gaza.

"Today I went to look for bread in several bakeries but couldn’t find any," Abu Khalil, a resident of Gaza City, told Amnesty International on Thursday evening. "There is no electricity, it's pitch dark.

"A few months ago, we bought an electric cooker because cooking gas is difficult to find and very expensive, but now without electricity we can't even cook. We are sitting at home in the dark; the children don't know what to do with themselves. We can’t do anything. Until when can we live like this?"

Other residents of Gaza told Amnesty International that they could not even find candles in the market any more. They said that the few people who have back generators in their homes and who still have fuel do not dare to use them because nobody knows when the blackout will end.

The United Nations Relief and Work Agency (UNRWA), the main UN aid agency, which provides humanitarian assistance to close to one million Palestinian refugees in Gaza, announced on Thursday that its supplies had run out.

John Ging, UNRWA’s head of operations in Gaza, told the media: "We have been working here from hand to mouth for quite a long time now, so these restrictions affect us immediately."

The agency had been warning for some days that its supplies were running out.

At the same time, the Israeli authorities have been denying access to Gaza to foreign journalists for a week and a convoy of European diplomats were likewise refused entry on Thursday.

"Gaza is cut off from the outside world and Israel is seemingly not keen for the world to see the suffering that its blockade is causing the one and a half million Palestinians who are virtually trapped there,” said Philip Luther.

The breakdown last week of a five-and-a-half-month ceasefire between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants in Gaza has generated a renewed wave of violence. The killing of six Palestinian militants in Israeli air strikes and ground attacks on 4 November prompted a barrage of Palestinian rockets on nearby Israeli towns and villages.

Five other Palestinian militants have been killed by Israeli forces in recent days. Palestinian rocket attacks have continued. No Israeli casualties had been reported until earlier today, when one Israeli was lightly wounded by shrapnel in an attack on the Israeli city of Sderot.

"This dangerous spate of attacks and counter-attacks must be swiftly halted. Both sides know from past experience that their actions are putting the lives of the civilian populations of Gaza and southern Israel at risk,” said Philip Luther.

Prior to the coming into effect of the ceasefire on 19 June 2008, some 420 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli forces, half of them unarmed civilians, including some 80 children, since the beginning of the year. In the same period, Palestinian armed groups killed 24 Israelis, 15 of them civilians, including four children.

The five-and-a-half-month ceasefire had brought a welcome respite for the civilian populations in Gaza and southern Israel. Daily attacks had blighted their lives for the past eight years, during which some 4,750 Palestinians and 1,100 Israelis were killed.

Most of the victims on both sides have been unarmed civilians, including some 900 Palestinian children and 120 Israeli children.

http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/news/israeli-army-blocks-deliveries-gaza-20081114

[aquart]

1. "Palestinian rocket attacks have continued."

Sounds like they have the remedy in their hands.

[shira]

2. Amnesty International: TRANSLATION........

Hamas can keep lobbing rockets; no one will exert great pressure on Hamas to stop. In fact, Israel is expected to act the same and send aid and supplies unimpeded, whether Hamas keeps the peace or goes full tilt into war. As if Egypt shares no border with Gaza and about 1000 tunnels do not exist.

Being that "more" is expected from Israel and nothing is expected from Hamas, this is just the way things are. Expect nothing from Hamas, expect them not to be humanitarian - and get nothing in return but more murder and mayhem.

Therefore, Hamas gets the message loud and clear that they can do whatever they want - both to their own civilians or to Israelis - as Amnesty International, etc.. will put next to no pressure on Hamas to stop. They'll blame Israel for Hamas intransigence while Hamas laughs their asses off knowing they can get away with anything.

Great gameplan there, AI. Way to promote peace! Keep trucking!

[azurnoir]

4. Really AI promotes shooting rockets? link please n/t

[shira]

5. AI does nothing to make Hamas think twice about stopping rocket attacks...

...after all, the blame goes all to Israel right? Whether Hamas keeps the ceasefire or opts for total war against random Israelis, Israel should pretend Hamas is acting like Fatah in the West Bank and send supplies in.

Hamas cannot be held responsible. They're stupid. They don't know better and have no clue their actions result in border closures. You know this but they don't for some reason. This is the racism of low expectations. Israel knows better, more is expected from Israel and this is why Amnesty Int. focuses almost entirely on Israel.....they've pretty much given up on Hamas, and Hamas appreciates it, really they do! So Hamas learns from Amnesty that no matter what Hamas does, they can get away with murder and Israel takes the blame because nothing is expected from Hamas and everyone has expectations from Israel.

Racism, pure and simple. Twisted priorities too. Kill Israelis, no biggie....all the headlines are more focused against Israel than Hamas. Same goes for the rest of the world where real human rights violations 100 X worse than in I/P happen....look over there at Israel, we cannot be held responsible, low expectations and all....blame them! Sudan, Egypt, Sri Lanka, China, etc...thank Amnesty Int. very much. All the disproportionate focus at the UN prove that this tactic of low-expectation racism BS really works.

And you fall for it all the time.

Amnesty Int. may as well be allowing Hamas to do whatever they like......AI will just crank up far more heat against Israel and give Hamas a virtual free pass. Oh sure, AI will write a paragraph or 2 about Hamas, in comparison to a book against Israel to show 'balance'...don't get me wrong. And at the NGO conference at Durban 2, we can bet Hamas won't even be mentioned while AI focuses nearly 100% on Israel like 8 years ago, with all the other 'respected' NGO's.

Again, this teaches rogue regimes they can resume their murder and mayhem while pointing over there to Israel so that Israel can take the heat off them.

And AI plays along happily.

[azurnoir]

6. Again with the hysterical nonsense

AI has no call over military matters or are you claiming they do, they are decrying not allowing aid paid for by international agencies into Gaza period, but perhapps the UN should bring in food by sea.
As for not falling for it your right I do not, at least not the rationalizations put out by the Pro's anyway.

[shira]

7. AI, like the media or UN has influence....

...and when they are not using their influence to condemn Hamas even half as much as they condemn Israel, they may as well be giving Hamas a green light to continue the attacks because Israel is obligated to feed, clothe, and aid Palestinians regardless of anything Hamas chooses to do - being that people whose opinions you respect feel there should be absolutely no consequences to Hamas actions (people will be hurt, you know, so Israel should do nothing). Nevermind the people Hamas hurts with their rockets.

Tell me please, do you not believe it is Hamas' clear intent to give Israel a lose/lose scenario each and every time they attack Israel? Israel can fight back and perhaps harm the Palestinian human shields Hamas takes advantage of, or Israel can do nothing and let Hamas fire at will. Win/win for Hamas, lose/lose for Israel. Do you disagree?

Take all the time you need answering - be dismissive and you may as well put me on ignore.

My point asking is that I believe Amnesty Int. knows full well this is the scenario with Hamas' win/win and Israel's lose/lose options. And yet AI (as well as the UN and some media) plays directly into Hamas' hands as though they are full collaborators.

[LeftishBrit]

8. Amnesty has condemned the rockets

www.amnesty.org.uk/news_details.asp?NewsID=17691

[shira]

9. amnesty devoting a fraction of their energy to hamas

as compared to Israel is hardly proof of their objectivity in all this. Hamas feeds off the fact that AI admits it puts far more pressure on Israel because more is expected of Israel (as opposed to low expectations of Palestinian leadership which is racism). Hamas can therefore count on AI to support - if not in intent than in effect - their continued war efforts.

[shira]

3. And Egypt's excuse is.......?

Egypt blocks Gaza aid convoy
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2008/10/2008106132845762868.html

At least Egypt doesn't have to withstand Hamas lobbing rockets into Egyptian territory. So what's their excuse for not allowing aid through? Why is only Israel to blame?