International condemnation

Most international actors in the region believe there already is a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, including the UN's Emergency Relief Coordinator, the Undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs John Holmes, who said at a press conference at UNHQ in New York recently: "This kind of action against the people in Gaza cannot be justified, even by those rocket attacks."

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon expressed particular concern, in a statement issued later through his spokesperson, about the "decision by Israel to close the crossing points in between Gaza and Israel used for the delivery of humanitarian assistance. Such action cuts off the population from much-needed fuel supplies used to pump water and generate electricity to homes and hospitals".

The UN Human Rights Council's Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied territories, John Dugard, also issued a much sharper statement, saying that Israel must have foreseen the loss of life and injury to many nearby civilians when it targeted the Ministry of Interior building in Gaza City.

This, and the killings of other Palestinians during the week, plus the closures, "raise very serious questions about Israel's respect for international law and its commitment to the peace process", Dugard said. He said it violates the strict prohibition on collective punishment contained in the Fourth Geneva Convention, and one of the basic principles of international humanitarian law: that military action must distinguish between military targets and civilian targets.

Yours sincerely,
Treasa Ní Cheannabhain,
Galway Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign in association with Galway Alliance Against War, and www.freegaza.ps.

Comments (1) »

Clueless in Gaza
written by Lior, February 15, 2008

Ms. Cheannabhain has so many factual mistakes and cherry picking quotes in her letter it makes it hard to give it seriuos response.
Israel supplies most of Gaza's electricity - why shoulsd it ? Israel is not occuping it (did she see a singl Israeli soldier/policeman/ESB collector) ?
Gaza's rulers - Hamas, which she met during her visit rejoice when Israelis are murdered (Sweets were given to Gazans after the murder of an Israeli woman). Perhaps Hamas shares a teensy-weensy part of the resposibility ?

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