Tag: Palestine

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Statistics on Casualties in Palestine 2000 – 2008

Bt’Selem

Defence for Children International Children killed as a result of Israel military and settlers 2000 – 2008

In addition, from the UN 4/1/09:

As of this evening, the MoH reports casualty figures since the beginning of the Israeli military operation on 27 December of 491 dead and approximately 2,400 injured, out of which figures, at least 20 percent of the fatalities and 40 percent of the injuries are women and children.

List of UN releases relevant to Palestine

Excellent chronology of the occupation by Israel and resistance to it.

As the occupying power, under the Geneva Conventions Israel has the responsibility for caring for the occupied. Despite its claims of having left Gaza in 2005, Israel still occupies it under international law.

UN Office for the Coordindation of Humanitarian Affairs latest updates.

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UN Humanitarian report from Gaza 4/1/08

The latest information on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza can be downloaded from the UN Office of Coordination of Human Afairs.

The situation is extremely bleak – Israel, with the unrelenting support of its accomplice, the US Bush administration, continues to violate human rights and Geneva Conventions. A hospital ambulance has been shelled and food distribution has been stopped except in southern Gaza. Hospital generators are about to collapse.

Some quotes from the 4th January report:

“Israeli forces are now deployed in several areas of the Gaza Strip with clashes taking place between Israeli forces and militants. Damage and destruction of roads, infrastructure and buildings has been reported, including to a large gas storage facility. The military incursion compounds the humanitarian crisis following more than a week of shelling and an 18-month long blockade of the territory. There is an increased threat to civilians due to combat in densely populated urban areas. Hospitals continue to be overstretched because of the large number of casualties that have accumulated since the beginning of Israeli attacks, and ambulances and medical personnel face dificulties in accessing casualties. Electricity and telecommunications are down over much of the Strip.

Food distributions have been suspended and all crossing points remain closed.”

This morning, an ambulance of Al Awda hospital in the north was shelled, seriously injuring 4 medical staff. Palestine Square in central Gaza City was also hit, reportedly killing 5 civilians and injuring another 40 persons. Prior to the ground incursion, 15 Palestinians were killed and more than 25 injured when the Israeli Air Force bombarded the Ibrahim Al Makadima Mosque in Beit Lahiya.

There is an almost total blackout in the governorates of Gaza, North Gaza, Middle Area, and Khan Yunis. Most of the telephone network (both land lines and cell phones) in Gaza is also not functioning since it
now depends on back-up generators with dwindling fuel stocks.

All of Gaza City hospitals have been without mains electricity for 48 consecutive hours, depending entirely on back-up generators. The hospitals warn that the generators are close to collapse. At the Shifa hospital, collapse would have immediate consequences for 70 intensive care unit (ICU) patients including 30 in the neonatal care who are connected to machines. ICUs throughout the Gaza Strip are overloaded. The
security situation is also preventing medical staff from reaching hospitals.Ambulances are experiencing dificulty in reaching the injured because of continuous ire. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society continues to work around the clock in order to assist the population. From Friday to Saturday midday, its ambulances transported 78 wounded to hospitals. Fifteen fatalities were also transported.

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Israel – State Terrorist, always making excuses

MIDEAST-PALESTINIAN-ISRAEL-GAZA-CONFLICT

Palestinians carry the body of a little girl following an Israeli air strike targeting the house of Senior Hamas leader Nizar Rayyan in Gaza City on January 1, 2009. AFP PHOTO/MOHAMMED ABED/AFP/Getty Images

Nizar Rayyan was killed along with eighteen other people, including members of his family. Nice going, Israel, 18 innocent people killed to assassinate 1 unarmed public official. Another 25 people were wounded. Surely that couldn’t be a disproportionate response?

Prior to striking Rayyan’s house the IDF tried to warn his family about the imminent attack and urged them to evacuate the place, but they refused to do so.

The IDF decided in its usual ‘moral’ way

… regarding the legality of striking homes used as weapons storages when sufficient warning is given to the residents. It has been decided that this falls within the boundaries of international law and is therefore legitimate.

Thus we have the word of the IDF that the home was storing weapons and that the inhabitants were warned prior to their home being bombed. How reliable is the word of the IDF when it comes to killing Palestinian children? or others?

Israel’s actions, along with being barbaric, are incendiary. As Richard Silverstein says:

For every Rayyan Israel kills, 1,000 will take his place. And they will not only be mere soliders in the conflict. Some of that 1,000 will outdo Rayyan in devising ever greater acts of revenge against Israel for this travesty. So has it been in the past and so will it be till the ends of time or of this conflict, whichever comes first.

Elsewhere in the Ynet News story, Palestinian sources are reported saying that Israeli fighter jets attacked a school in Gaza City, killing 10 people.

The ever so moral IDF seems to have missed Article 3 of the Geneva Convention

In the case of armed conflict not of an international character occurring in the territory of one of the High Contracting Parties, each Party to the conflict shall be bound to apply, as a minimum, the following provisions:

1. Persons taking no active part in the hostilities, including members of armed forces who have laid down their arms and those placed hors de combat by sickness, wounds, detention, or any other cause, shall in all circumstances be treated humanely, without any adverse distinction founded on race, colour, religion or faith, sex, birth or wealth, or any other similar criteria.

To this end, the following acts are and shall remain prohibited at any time and in any place whatsoever with respect to the above-mentioned persons:

(a) Violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds, mutilation, cruel treatment and torture;

(b) Taking of hostages;

(c) Outrages upon personal dignity, in particular humiliating and degrading treatment;

(d) The passing of sentences and the carrying out of executions without previous judgment pronounced by a regularly constituted court, affording all the judicial guarantees which are recognized as indispensable by civilized peoples.

and Article 50

The Occupying Power shall, with the cooperation of the national and local authorities, facilitate the proper working of all institutions devoted to the care and education of children.

Perhaps they interpret Article 53 as justification for their wanton slaughter of civilians and destruction of civilian buildings in Gaza.

Any destruction by the Occupying Power of real or personal property belonging individually or collectively to private persons, or to the State, or to other public authorities, or to social or cooperative organizations, is prohibited, except where such destruction is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations.

Israel’s military plans are to annihilate the support for and existence of the democratically elected Hamas government. Their scope has creeped to include the destruction of all public buildings, private workplaces, killing and / or enforced homelessness of all whose homes are suspected military targets – perhaps being a Hamas voter is enough – democratic governments after all rule by consent of the people. Look, a Hamas voter! they probably have weapons in their home. Ring, ring … hello … you have 10 minutes to vacate the premises before BOOOOOOM! have a nice day.