London Commemorates GAZA, 3 years after Operation Cast Lead

Palestine Solidarity supporters occupied Kensington High Street yesterday, demonstrating outside the Israeli Embassy, as part of a worldwide day of action commemorating 3 years since the launch of ‘Operation Cast Lead’, Israel’s 3 week terror ‘offensive’ upon Gaza which began on 27th December 2008, murdering over 1,400 Palestinians, a majority of which were Civilians.

Humanitarians chanted in unison calling for an end to the siege on GAZA, freedom for GAZA, Jerusalem and Palestine, waving their flags with placards held high. All amidst an exclusive shopping district, on one of London’s busiest day; the Bank Holiday Christmas sales. A group of Israeli apologists gathered on the opposite side of the street; both groups of protestors were penned in by railings patrolled by police.

A video ‘London Commemorates GAZA, 3 years after Operation Cast Lead’ features scenes of the London demonstration including speeches by Hugh Lanning, PSC chair; Zaher al-Beerawi of the Palestine Forum in Britain and Ismail Patel from Friends of Al- Aqsa.  http://youtu.be/RVSsWb4gqQc

Any terror attack is devastating and ‘Operation Cast Lead’ especially so. Gaza had been under an illegal Israeli siege, for 19 months prior to Operation Cast Lead. This siege impedes the movement of people and the flow of goods like food, medicine, fuel and money which places Gaza’s residents under a humanitarian crisis. Israel controls GAZA’s air space, land and sea borders, rendering GAZA an open air prison. The siege is indiscriminate and inflicts collective punishment on the civilian population; this is illegal under Humanitarian Law.

Human Rights Watch reported that prior to operation cast lead ‘about 80% of the Gaza Strip's population (1.2 million) relied on food aid, a significant proportion was malnourished and more than half was food-insecure, or living on less than $2.6 USD per day.’  http://www.hrw.org/news/2009/01/12/deprived-and-endangered-humanitarian-crisis-gaza-strip

As a result of the siege hospitals can provide only basic care due to lack of equipment, material & resources. The infrastructure of GAZA was at a critical point with water, sewage and electricity services severely undermined. GAZA was already suffering an overwhelming humanitarian crisis brought upon it by the illegal Israeli siege and lacked the resources and infrastructure to deal with any further humanitarian crisis.

Operation Cast Lead murdered 1,400 Palestinians which included many children. Much of the wounded and sick were trapped in their homes with no access to medical care and corpses left amongst the rubble due to Israel restricting the movement of ambulances in the area. Human Rights Watch reported ‘The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) reportedly blocked the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) from accessing badly wounded and dead civilians for several days. On January 8, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which 750,000 Gazan's have long depended on for food aid, decided to suspend aid deliveries in Gaza after Israeli strikes killed two of its drivers’.  http://www.hrw.org/news/2009/01/12/deprived-and-endangered-humanitarian-crisis-gaza-strip

During this offensive, Israel used white phosphorous munitions, which is an incendiary devise due to its ferocious burning & smoke producing capabilities. It causes injury by burning deep into flesh, on inhalation and ingestion. Extensive exposure by burning & ingestion results in death. Phosphorous sticks to the skin and will continue to burn until deprived of oxygen; it also carries a greater risk of death than from other form of burns, as the body can absorb phosphorous which causes damage to organs.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_phosphorus

Ayma al Najar, a 13 year old boy from Khoza (South Gaza) lay in his hospital bed suffering with severe white phosphorous burns. Courageously, in the circumstances he spoke to a camera crew describing the attack on his family, including his sister, grandfather and cousin. They were all at home on the evening of Israel’s attack.

“She was playing with her mobile phone and suddenly a rocket came towards her and burnt her. A piece of shrapnel hit her face and tore her face all the way down to the bone. And from here to here, her stomach was all bones, there was nothing left of her. She didn’t cry at all, not a tear drop fell from her eye, she didn’t even scream, they brought her to the hospital to the operating theatre where she died…his grandfather died, they buried him twice, his upper half first day, following day they found his legs and buried them…my grandfather was sitting outside when a rocket hit and cut him in half…my cousin was sitting near the door another bomb hit him and burnt his eyes.”  http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2009/jan/19/gaza-phosphorus-victim

Israel is an occupying power exercising effective day-to-day control over key aspects of Gazan life. Under International Law, an occupying power has a duty to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the civilian population under its occupation.

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights have published the names of those who died under Operation Cast Lead and yesterday announced that to mark this anniversary and highlight the continuing injustice, they will release a series of narratives, documenting the experiences of victims in the three years since the offensive. The series will be accompanied by a factsheet providing an overview of the flaws inherent in the Israeli justice system and the criminal complaints submitted to the Israeli authorities on behalf of victims of Operation Cast Lead.  http://www.pchrgaza.org/portal/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7979:3-years-after-operation-cast-lead-justice-has-been-comprehensively-denied-pchr-release-23-narratives-documenting-the-experience-of-victims-&catid=36:pchrpressreleases&Itemid=194

The siege on GAZA continues to date. In September 2011, an Independent UN Panel reported to the UN Human Rights Council concluding that the blockade on GAZA subjects Gazans to collective punishment in "flagrant contravention of international human rights and humanitarian law."  http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/un-independent-panel-rules-israel-blockade-of-gaza-illegal-1.384267

I was at the London Palestine demonstration in Trafalgar square in January 2009 in a protest of solidarity against Operation Cast Lead. I felt an overwhelming sense of sorrow, helplessness and injustice. Sarah Colborne, PSC Director of Campaigns addressed the rally yesterday providing “We have a rally in Conway Hall at 7pm please be there, it’s very important because whilst we remember, we are also saying never again and we have to make that message loud and clear not just to the Israeli embassy but to our own Government that stood back and allowed Israel to commit that massacre, so please be there on the 18th January 2012.”  http://www.palestinecampaign.org/index9b.asp?m_id=1&l1_id=4&l2_id=99&Content_ID=2291

Salam, Peace be upon you.

mswithacause