Gaza.

Besieged Gaza Denied water

Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip has brought immense sufferings to Palestinians living in the coastal territory.

The siege even impedes the supply of water, the most basic need for human survival.

Now - 80 per cent of Gazans lack access to clean water.

The head of Gaza’s water authority says he has plans and the means to import water from other countries until self-dependency is reached, but Israel’s blockade is the only thing in the way.

Israels blockade of Gaza has been in place for almost three years. 

Building on existing closures and restrictions, the blockade means the delay or denial of a broad range of items food, industrial, educational, medical deemed “non-essential” for a population largely unable to be self-sufficient at the end of decades of occupation. The blockade prevents access by sea, land and air, effectively closing off a population of 1.5 million Palestinians from the outside world.

This short film examines what the blockade means for the people of Gaza, as they struggle to rebuild their lives over a year after Operation Cast Lead.

The shame of Israel’s Gaza blockade

AJE’s Inside Story:

The Israeli blockade is preventing reconstruction and causing massively increased poverty in the Gaza Strip, according to a new report from 16 humanitarian and human rights groups.

The report, entitled No More Excuses also fingers the reticense of global powers to get involved as a contributing factor to the growing humanitarian problem in Gaza. While governments across the world have criticised the blockade, there has been little concrete action, the report says.

To rectify the problem the report demands that the EU suspend ties with Israel in protest and that the UN Security Council meet over the issue. It also urges Hamas to permanently cease all indiscriminate rocket fire into Israel and calls on all Palestinian factions to work together for the civilian population.

On this episode of Inside Story, we ask: Is it fair to blame outsiders for Israel’s actions, and, if so, has the world betrayed Gaza? And are the Palestinians not their own worst enemies?

Inside Story presenter Hoda Abdelhamid is joined by: Mustafa Barghouthi, the head of the Palestinian National Initiative, Abraham Bell, a professor of law at Bar Ilan University, and Eugene Rogan, the head of Middle East Studies at Oxford University and author of  a new book, The Arabs: A History.

Childhood in ruins

Powerful report from The Guardian…

The teacher hands Ghiada a question to answer to the class in English: If you were a colour, what colour would you choose? The girl doesn’t hesitate. “Red,” she tells the class.

The teacher asks the students what the colour red means to them. Blood, suggests one; danger, says another…

Ghiada considers for a moment, then replies: “It makes me happy. It’s the colour of love.”

Quotes from UNRWA’s John Ging also.

UPDATE — The Independent

Gaza one year on: The aftermath of a tragedy

These two stories should clear up any ‘Questions’ about why 500+ people would drive across Europe to Gaza.

BLOCKADE BLOCK-AID

Israel’s peculiar, yet deliberate, restrictions on what can go in and out of Gaza are hampering reconstruction, relief efforts and prolonging the misery for Gazans.

IMPORTS

ALLOWED — Rice, White Phosphorous, Misery
BANNED — Pasta*, Chick Peas**, Dates, Journalists, Fruit Juice, Tomato Paste, Construction Materials (cement, steel, glass), Soap, Crayons, Pencils, Paper (toilet paper, school books, printing paper), Clothing, Agricultural Goods (seeds, fertilizer, piping), Spare Parts for Damaged Water/Sewage Systems and Hearing Aids

EXPORTS

ALLOWED — Carnations
BANNED — Human Rights Award Prize Winners

* visiting Gaza, Sen. John Kerry questioned Ehud Barak about the pasta ban. Barak claimed that they “didn’t consider [pasta] an essential food item.” — not having any better excuse, the 80,000kg of macaroni was allowed in. Pasta farmers everywhere rejoiced!

** KABOBfest: “Or, they know how chick peas make one gassy. Since they have made Gaza so densely populated with so many refugees, they are afraid a simultaneous fart by all Gazans will blow down Sderot…”