According to BBC News the Israeli government continues to enforce a food blockage which threatens UN relief operations. The UN Relief and Works Agency (Unwra) is responsible for food distribution:
In a statement, Unwra spokesman Christophen Gunness said food distribution operations would end on Thursday unless Israeli authorities allowed deliveries of wheat, luncheon meat, powdered milk and cooking oil without delay.
"This is both a physical as well as a mental punishment of the population - of mothers and parents trying to feed their children - who are being forced to live hand to mouth," he said.
"It is a further illustration of the barbarity of this inhuman blockade."
More thoughts over the fold...
An informative Diary regarding the Gaza seige was posted by Heathlander a week ago and readers wanting background information may wish to check out that diary.
BBC News reports in their article today that
Israel is now allowing a limited amount of fuel across the border, but it is still blocking food deliveries.
My own sense is that the Palestinians have had a rough deal for a long time, but what would I know.
Juan Cole Professor of History at University of Michigan is actually pretty blunt about the Palestinian situation:
The statelessness of over 3 million Palestinians is among the great ongoing crimes of the 21st century, allowing them to be continually besieged, as civilians, deprived of basic services, and to some extent even of enough food (15 percent of Gazan children are malnourished as a direct result of Israeli actions).
In essence, they are slaves to the Israelis
In his blog he asks why Israeli attrocities are so rarely reported in the United States media coverage. I wouldn't know about that but I reckon he's probably better informed on this very sensitive topic than some commentaters.
It will be interesting to see if President Obama has a crack at this thorny issue which has got the better of several of his predecessors. What think you?