Warnings Pour in For Israel to Stop Collective Punishment
Zionism's War to Wipe Palestine Off the Map | 24.01.2008 00:50 | Anti-racism | World
Note that humanitarian organizations, like the Red Cross, condemned the first round of Israeli Collective Punishment (actually the second), which provoked the rockets, just as Israel's defense staff had warned.
The media was silent on this.
The media was silent on this.
More warnings pour in for Israel to end siege of Gaza before 'total collapse'
Compiled by Daily Star staff
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
International aid agencies and concerned foreign leaders warned on Tuesday that the humanitarian infrastructure of the Gaza Strip is at risk of a "total collapse" as Israel's economic blockade left it largely without vital power and food supplies. "There is a major risk of a total collapse of all the infrastructure," said Dorothea Krimitsas, spokeswoman for the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC). "The blockade measures have an enormous human cost and we have asked Israel to immediately lift all retaliatory measures."
"The population finds itself hostage to this conflict and is suffering the most serious consequences," with hospitals under particular strain given the lack of supplies and electricity, Krimitsas said. "Many medicines are lacking and need to be restocked, otherwise hospitals will have to close."
Her concerns were echoed by the head of the UN children's agency, UNICEF. Executive Director Anne Veneman said she was "very concerned" about the welfare of children in Gaza.
"We are very concerned about the situation of children in Gaza ... children are always the victims in times of conflict," she told journalists at the launch of UNICEF's annual report on the state of the world's children.
UNICEF was particularly worried about hospitals' ability to refrigerate vaccines, and the difficulty both patients and medical suppliers faced trying to pass through Israeli military checkpoints in the territory, she added.
Amid the concern of the international bodies, leaders and citizens from across the Islamic world renewed their calls on Israel to lift the blockade.
Malaysia, which currently heads the world's largest Islamic bloc, urged the global community Tuesday to make Israel lift its blockade of Gaza before it turns into a humanitarian catastrophe.
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who chairs the 57-member Organization of Islamic Conference, condemned the blockade and the closing of all border closings between Israel and Gaza as "inhumane."
"The Palestinians have the right of access to food, fuel and medicine. The inhumane action by the Israelis would make the living conditions of the Palestinian people even more unbearable," he said in a statement.
The blockade has "exacerbated the already worsening humanitarian crisis in the area and this will cause a humanitarian catastrophe," Abdullah said.
Abdullah also called on the UN to hold an open-ended session of the UN Security Council so that other nations could participate on the debate on Gaza.
The Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, also denounced Israel on Tuesday for its devastating siege of Gaza which he said had triggered a "humanitarian tragedy."
"The Palestinian territories are like an open-air prison, they are under siege from Israel. According to the latest news I received, the people of Gaza are now facing a humanitarian tragedy," he said in a televised speech to his party's lawmakers in Parliament.
"It is not possible to accept a practice that amounts to punishing nearly 2 million innocent people on account of rocket attacks," he said.
Additionally, several hundred Sudanese demonstrated Tuesday in front of a UN building in Khartoum to show their solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and demand the UN intervene in the crisis.
The protesters, many of whom were students, shouted slogans including: "No for the killing of Palestinians. No for the killing of civilians." They also handed over a letter to the UN office that was addressed to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, calling on him to try to end the Israeli blockade against the Palestinians. - Agencies
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=88277
Red Cross Condemns Gaza Collective Punishment (the First Round)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7141875.stm
http://rawstory.com/news/afp/Palestinian_civilians_hostage_to_wo_12132007.html
As Predicted: Gaza Reoccupation Planned
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/01/388658.html
As Predicted: Israel Attacks Gaza
http://alaanasnews.blogspot.com/2007/12/as-predicted-israel-attacks-gaza.html
Gaza Food Supplies 'Getting Worse by the Day'
http://winnipeg.indymedia.org/item.php?10015S
Israel Destroys Gaza Interior Ministry, Blocks UN Aid
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyid=2008-01-18T144241Z_01_L17306267_RTRUKOC_0_US-PALESTINIANS-ISRAEL.xml
Probe: At Least Half of Palestinians Killed by IDF Were Civilians
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/944276.html
Israeli Attacks on Palestinians, Killings, Doubled Since Annapolis
http://www.uruknet.de/?p=m40008&hd=&size=1&l=e
UN Condemns Collective Punishment of Gaza
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/01/389757.html?c=on#c187937
UN Condemns 'Cowardly Israeli War Crime'
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/01/389828.html
International Outcry Grows for End to Israeli Blockade of Gaza Strip
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/01/389937.html
Compiled by Daily Star staff
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
International aid agencies and concerned foreign leaders warned on Tuesday that the humanitarian infrastructure of the Gaza Strip is at risk of a "total collapse" as Israel's economic blockade left it largely without vital power and food supplies. "There is a major risk of a total collapse of all the infrastructure," said Dorothea Krimitsas, spokeswoman for the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC). "The blockade measures have an enormous human cost and we have asked Israel to immediately lift all retaliatory measures."
"The population finds itself hostage to this conflict and is suffering the most serious consequences," with hospitals under particular strain given the lack of supplies and electricity, Krimitsas said. "Many medicines are lacking and need to be restocked, otherwise hospitals will have to close."
Her concerns were echoed by the head of the UN children's agency, UNICEF. Executive Director Anne Veneman said she was "very concerned" about the welfare of children in Gaza.
"We are very concerned about the situation of children in Gaza ... children are always the victims in times of conflict," she told journalists at the launch of UNICEF's annual report on the state of the world's children.
UNICEF was particularly worried about hospitals' ability to refrigerate vaccines, and the difficulty both patients and medical suppliers faced trying to pass through Israeli military checkpoints in the territory, she added.
Amid the concern of the international bodies, leaders and citizens from across the Islamic world renewed their calls on Israel to lift the blockade.
Malaysia, which currently heads the world's largest Islamic bloc, urged the global community Tuesday to make Israel lift its blockade of Gaza before it turns into a humanitarian catastrophe.
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who chairs the 57-member Organization of Islamic Conference, condemned the blockade and the closing of all border closings between Israel and Gaza as "inhumane."
"The Palestinians have the right of access to food, fuel and medicine. The inhumane action by the Israelis would make the living conditions of the Palestinian people even more unbearable," he said in a statement.
The blockade has "exacerbated the already worsening humanitarian crisis in the area and this will cause a humanitarian catastrophe," Abdullah said.
Abdullah also called on the UN to hold an open-ended session of the UN Security Council so that other nations could participate on the debate on Gaza.
The Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, also denounced Israel on Tuesday for its devastating siege of Gaza which he said had triggered a "humanitarian tragedy."
"The Palestinian territories are like an open-air prison, they are under siege from Israel. According to the latest news I received, the people of Gaza are now facing a humanitarian tragedy," he said in a televised speech to his party's lawmakers in Parliament.
"It is not possible to accept a practice that amounts to punishing nearly 2 million innocent people on account of rocket attacks," he said.
Additionally, several hundred Sudanese demonstrated Tuesday in front of a UN building in Khartoum to show their solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and demand the UN intervene in the crisis.
The protesters, many of whom were students, shouted slogans including: "No for the killing of Palestinians. No for the killing of civilians." They also handed over a letter to the UN office that was addressed to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, calling on him to try to end the Israeli blockade against the Palestinians. - Agencies
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=88277 Red Cross Condemns Gaza Collective Punishment (the First Round)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7141875.stm http://rawstory.com/news/afp/Palestinian_civilians_hostage_to_wo_12132007.html As Predicted: Gaza Reoccupation Planned
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/01/388658.html As Predicted: Israel Attacks Gaza
http://alaanasnews.blogspot.com/2007/12/as-predicted-israel-attacks-gaza.html Gaza Food Supplies 'Getting Worse by the Day'
http://winnipeg.indymedia.org/item.php?10015S Israel Destroys Gaza Interior Ministry, Blocks UN Aid
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyid=2008-01-18T144241Z_01_L17306267_RTRUKOC_0_US-PALESTINIANS-ISRAEL.xml Probe: At Least Half of Palestinians Killed by IDF Were Civilians
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/944276.html Israeli Attacks on Palestinians, Killings, Doubled Since Annapolis
http://www.uruknet.de/?p=m40008&hd=&size=1&l=e UN Condemns Collective Punishment of Gaza
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/01/389757.html?c=on#c187937 UN Condemns 'Cowardly Israeli War Crime'
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/01/389828.html International Outcry Grows for End to Israeli Blockade of Gaza Strip
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/01/389937.html
Zionism's War to Wipe Palestine Off the Map