What do you really know about the current Gaza Blockade (2007-present)?
Did you know that President Obama called it a,
"Humanitarian Crisis"
back in June of 2009?
This diary is to provide information regarding the current humanitarian crisis in Gaza, engineered by Israel.
Jimmy Carter visited Gaza in 2009, 1.5 years after U.S.-provided munitions were used to destroy the public use infrastructure in the Gaza strip. Subsequent to Israel's military actions in Gaza, the Israeli government blockaded Gaza to prevent the importation of any goods that could be used to rebuild Gaza. Gaza is the home of 1.5 million people.
Here is Jimmy Carter speaking to the Palestinians in Gaza during his trip
in his speech in Gaza, Carter said,
"Its very distressing to me, I have to hold back tears when I see the deliberate destruction that has been raked against your people. I come here to the American school which was educating your children, supported by my own country, and I see that it has been deliberately destroyed by bombs from F-16s made in my country and delivered to the Israelis. I feel partially responsible for this, as must all Americans. The Hamas leaders want peace and they want to have reconciliation, not only with Fatah brothers, but also with Israelis, eventually, to live side-by-side, with two nations, both sovereign nations recognized by each other and living in peace. That's what I hope to see in the future."
Later, when Jimmy Carter returned to the U.S. he reported on the state of the physical conditions in Gaza early last year.
Carter calls Gaza blockade a 'crime and atrocity'
"It's an atrocity what is being perpetrated as punishment on the people in Gaza.It's a crime... I think it is an abomination that this continues to go on," Carter said.
Globally, and within Israel, Jewish groups, recognizing how this Israeli-caused humanitarian crisis will perpetuate the cycle of violence against Israel, spoke out against the criminality of the blockade.
British Jewish group sparks outrage with Gaza blockade criticism
LONDON - A controversial coalition of prominent Jewish activists and academics has reignited controversy in the British Jewish community after taking out an paid advertisement in The Times this week calling for Israel to lift its economic blockade of the Gaza Strip and accusing the state of breaching international law.
"Independent Jewish Voices" was formed a year ago and counts Nobel laureate Harold Pinter and actor Stephen Fry among its prominent signatories.
and
Israelis Protest Gaza Blockade
The protest in Tel Aviv marked the first anniversary of Israel's war on Gaza [AFP]
Hundreds of Israelis have rallied in central Tel Aviv to protest against the Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip.
Israeli Arab and Jewish activists marched on Saturday in the city's Rabin square, chanting slogans and waving signs calling for "Freedom and Justice in Gaza".
The protesters demanded Israel end the blockade, deeming its continuation a "war crime", the AFP news agency reported.
And yet, the blockade continues. . . now the crisis has reached horrific proportions, children are dying from disentary and elders are dying from lack of medicines. Clean water is scarce and foodstores are gone. Attempts to run the blockade have been met by the Israeli forces, armed with weapons provided by the United States.
World Vision says Israeli "blockade" causing "toxic" water
JERUSALEM-WESTBANK-GAZA - Water is becoming contaminated in Gaza, as chlorine to treat drinking water is becoming scarce, World Vision’s North Gaza Area Development Programme (ADP) manager reported this week. Mohammed El Halaby said on Wednesday that the Water Authority in the Gaza Strip has warned the population about using untreated water.
Nine-year-old Hadeel is one of the sponsored children whose family is affected by this latest crisis in Gaza. The water is severely rationed and only gets to her home once a week for two hours at a time. This is due to the continuing fuel shortage, which renders the pumping stations inoperable and therefore unable to supply households with sufficient water.
Additionally, the area where Hadeel lives, Beit Lahia is threatened by a sewage lagoon operating at above its regular capacity, as pumps are not functioning due to the fuel shortage. Last year, five people were killed when it burst. Some flooding has already occurred in the area, threatening public health and safety.
Earlier in February, international aid organizations working in the occupied Palestinian territory issued a list of items that are not being allowed into Gaza as a result of the continuing blockade. Some on the list, such as chlorination units and water quality testing kits, as well as construction material needed to maintain water networks, are banned from the list of humanitarian items allowed in.
Eye witnesses to the conditions found in Gaza liken it to being stranded in a "war zone".
Aid worker: Gaza blockade lacks all humanity
Cassandra Nelson is a humanitarian aid worker with Mercy Corps. She spends most of her time deployed in hotspots and hostile areas. She has worked in Iraq, Darfur, Lebanon, South Sudan, Zimbabwe, Liberia, North Korea, Sri Lanka, Banda Aceh, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran. Here she describes her experiences trying to provide relief in Gaza.
I arrived in Israel yesterday to work with Mercy Corps, an international aid organization, to assist the Gazans who are suffering from the conflict and over 18 months of harsh blockades that have left their cupboards bare and their banks empty of cash.
All of Gaza is on the verge of collapse: Most people have no electricity, no running water and inadequate food supplies. Fuel is running low. And only a fraction of aid needed to sustain Gaza's 1.5 million residents is getting in.
Getting basic food and medical aid into Gaza from Israel has proved to be extremely frustrating and difficult for aid agencies trying to help the civilians who are literally stranded in a war zone.
The eye witness reports of these conditions were taken 18 months ago, conditions today are far far worse.
OH! The JOY!!! now, finally, today, after three years
Children's Clothing Will Be Allowed Into Gaza!!!
Israel to allow clothes, shoes into blockaded Gaza
(Reuters) - Israel will allow a shipment of clothes and shoes to be delivered to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip for the first time in its almost three-year-old tight blockade of the enclave, Palestinian officials said on Monday.
Meanwhile, at the recent AIPAC convention, Nancy Pelosi and Eric Cantor both held hands and celebrated their unquestionable allegiance to (the policies of) the nation of Israel, the nature of both "allegiance" and "nation" defined by the Likudites (Neo-cons) within AIPAC.
AIPAC - the rightwing lobby of the Likud government for the enabling of continual war against humanity on behalf of Israeli wingnut idealogues.
I attest to you all that the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land is an illegal occupation. All settlements on palestinian lands are illegal.
BE CLEAR, I don't condone the title of this movie, I was unable to find a better one that listed Barak Obama's hawkish statements on Iran with very important commentary.
It is important, please watch it, however Do not support the title statement, it is false!
JINSA - the rightwing Likud lobby of U.S. military brass for the enabling of continual war against humanity on behalf os Israeli wingut idealogues.
"The bulk of JINSA's modest annual budget is spent on taking a bevy of retired US generals and admirals to Israel, where JINSA facilitates meetings between Israeli officials and the still-influential US flag officers, who, upon their return to the States, happily write op-eds and sign letters and advertisements championing the Likudnik line."