Occupied Gaza: News, Comment, and Analysis

ICRC Operational Update: Israel and the occupied territories - another year without change

2012-02-07T12:50:00.001-05:00

The Gaza closure, now in its fifth year, continued to affect all aspects of life in the coastal enclave and to remove any prospect of economic recovery despite some concessions made by the Israeli authorities. The lengthy permit process and the rigorous security checks required to exit Gaza, whether for treatment, education or training, remained a cause of particular concern.

The continued building of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem prevented many more Palestinian farmers from being able to reach their lands. Because of the scarcity of building permits, many Palestinians living in areas under Israeli control built houses without permission, despite the risk of seeing their homes destroyed.

Full Press Release
http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/update/2012/palestine-israel-update-2012-02-06.htm

Human Rights Watch Report: Israel -- End Restrictions on Palestinian Residency

2012-02-05T14:39:00.000-05:00

Israeli policies on Palestinian residency have arbitrarily denied thousands of Palestinians the ability to live in, and travel to and from, the West Bank and Gaza, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Israel should immediately stop denying or cancelling the residency of Palestinians and close family members with deep ties to the West Bank and Gaza, and end blanket bans on processing their applications for residency.

The 90-page report, “Forget about Him, He’s Not Here,” describes the arbitrary exclusion by the Israeli military of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians since 1967 and documents the impact that exclusion continues to have on individuals and families. The way Israel’s military has exercised its control over the Palestinian population registry – the list of Palestinians whom it considers to be lawful residents of the West Bank and Gaza territories – has separated families, caused people to lose jobs and educational opportunities, barred people from entering the Palestinian territories, and trapped others inside them, Human Rights Watch said.

Press Release
http://www.hrw.org/node/104961

Full Report - 116 pages
http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/iopt0212webwcover.pdf

Palestinian Council of Human Rights Organisations: Open Letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon -- Negotiations Must Adhere to International Law

2012-02-05T14:38:00.000-05:00

The UN Human Rights system, as well as the various resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council have repeatedly condemned the unlawful situation arising from the prolonged occupation of the OPT and have called for Israel to respect international law and put an end to all violations. Should the Quartet not also adhere to these same principles and demand that respect for international law be the pre-requisite of negotiations? Otherwise, UN participation in the Quartet is inconsistent with its commitment to the tenets of international law and justice.

Full Letter
http://www.alhaq.org/advocacy/targets/united-nations/522-joint-letter-to-ban-ki-moon-negotiations-must-adhere-to-international-law

B'Tselem: Sharp increase in administrative detention in 2011

2012-02-05T14:31:00.000-05:00

In 2011, there was a sharp increase in the number of Palestinian administrative detainees held by Israel, from 219 in January to 307 in December, according to figures B'Tselem received from the Israel Prison Service. Twenty-nine percent of the detainees had been held for six months to one year; another 24 percent from one to two years. Seventeen Palestinians had been in administrative detention continuously for two to four and a half years, and one man has been held for over five years. At the end of 2011, Israel was holding one minor in administrative detention.

Full Article
http://www.btselem.org/administrative_detention/20120201_sharp_rise_in_administrative_detention

80th Session of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination - Reports Submitted

2012-02-05T12:50:00.000-05:00

ADALAH - 40 pages
AL-Haq BADIL ADDMEER WCLAC - 41 pages
African Refugee Development Center (ARDC) - 30 pages
BADIL - 18 pages
ICAHD - 20 pages

Negev Coexistence Forum for Civil Equality (NCF) - 39 pages

Palestinian Centre for Human Rights - 29 pages

The Coalition Against Racism in Israel - 44 pages

Human Rights Watch: Israel -- High Court Rulings Undermine Human Rights

2012-01-30T17:43:00.000-05:00

Recent decisions by Israel’s high court aim to legitimize clear violations of Israel’s international legal obligations, Human Rights Watch said today. In one decision, the court disregarded international law prohibiting discrimination, and in another, it ignored international law on the use of resources in an occupied territory. Israel should annul a law preventing Israeli citizens from living with their Palestinian spouses and end policies that permit private Israeli companies to strip rocks and other construction materials from quarries in the occupied West Bank for their own economic gain.

Full Article
http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/01/30/israel-high-court-rulings-undermine-human-rights

OHCHR: The Access Restricted Areas in the Gaza Strip in 2011

2012-01-30T11:02:00.001-05:00

Israeli authorities have continued to impose an illegal blockade on the Gaza Strip, placing physical and administrative restrictions on the movement of people and goods. This includes imposing a “buffer zone”, or an access restricted area (ARA) on land and sea. Restricted land includes the “no-go” zone, which covers the area between 0 - 500 metres from the Israeli fence where access is totally prohibited, and the “high risk” zone, which covers the area from 500 - 1,500 metres up to the fence. Along most of Gaza’s coast, the restricted area begins at three nautical miles (NM) from shore.

Full Report - 5 pages
http://www.pchrgaza.org/files/2012/ARA%20Update%202011.pdf

Peace Now: Torpedoing the Two State Solution -- Summary of 2011 in the Settlements

2012-01-30T09:58:00.000-05:00

20% rise in construction starts in the settlements – at least 1,850 building starts for housing units, 35% of them (650 units) in isolated settlements east of the planned route of the Separation Barrier.

At least 3,500 units were under construction during 2011 (started to be built or continued construction from previous years).

1,577 units in settlements were published as tenders (and another 2,057 units in East Jerusalem) – as part of the Ministry of Housing's official list of upcoming tenders. Among others: 317 units in Efrat, 277 in Ariel, 642 units in Beitar Illit and 42 in Karnei Shomron.

Full Report
http://peacenow.org.il/eng/2011Summary

B'Tselem: Three years since Operation Cast Lead -- Israeli military utterly failed to investigate itself

2012-01-25T17:39:00.000-05:00

Three years after the end of the operation, the dozens of MPIU investigations opened into cases of harm to civilians have yet to yield results. The Military Advocate General Corps has created a haze around them, preventing any possibility of examining their effectiveness. The Corps' responses to B'Tselem, combined with media reports, indicate that three indictments have been filed against soldiers who took part in the operation: for theft of a credit card from a Palestinian civilian, for use of a nine-year-old Palestinian child as a human shield, and for “manslaughter of an anonymous person.”

Full Report
http://www.btselem.org/gaza_strip/20120118_3_years_after_cast_lead

Human Rights Watch: World Report 2012 -- Israel/Occupied Palestinian Territories

2012-01-22T10:51:00.000-05:00

Serious human rights violations continued in 2011 in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT). Israeli soldiers used unnecessary lethal force against demonstrators in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and across the border in Lebanon. Israeli military attacks in Gaza and policing operations in the West Bank resulted in the deaths of at least 37 civilians.

Israel continued to block exports from, and many imports to, the Gaza Strip, hindering the rebuilding of Gaza’s devastated economy. In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Israel demolished a record number of Palestinian homes under discriminatory practices, imposed severe restrictions on Palestinian freedom of movement, continued to build unlawful settlements, and arbitrarily detained peaceful protesters, including children.

Full Report
http://www.hrw.org/world-report-2012/world-report-2012-israeloccupied-palestinian-territories

OCHA: Monthly Humanitarian Monitor - December 2011

2012-01-19T20:07:00.001-05:00

2011 was characterized by a lack of respect for IHL and IHR. Israeli settlement activity accelerated, with an almost 20% increase in new ‘starts’ for housing units, compared to 2010. Almost 1,100 Palestinians were forcibly displaced as a result of the demolition of over 620 structures. Two thirds of all Palestinian casualties in WB occurred in the context of attacks by Israeli settlers or during clashes with Israeli forces at demonstrations protesting settlement takeover of land. As in past years, restricted access to land in the vicinity of settlements, along with Israeli settler violence, were among the key factors undermining the olive harvest. In Gaza, 1/3 of essential drugs and 20% medical supplies are at zero stock.

Full Report - 15 pages
http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_the_humanitarian_monitor_2012_01_19_english.pdf

ICAHD Report: The Judaization of Palestine -- 2011 Displacement Trends

2012-01-19T20:02:00.000-05:00

House demolitions and forced evictions are among Israel’s most heinous practices in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). In 2011, a record year of displacement, a total of 622 Palestinian structures were demolished by Israeli authorities, of which 36% (or 222) were family homes; the remainder were livelihood-related (including water storage and agricultural structures), resulting in 1,094 people displaced, almost double the number for 2010.

The Jordan Valley sustained the largest number of demolitions (32% of total structures demolished, 40% of residential structures demolished, 37% of people displaced), with 199 structures demolishedand 401 people displaced.

Full Report - 20 pages
http://www.scribd.com/iepshtain/d/78666859-The-Judaization-of-Palestine-2011-Displacement-Trends

OCHA: The Humanitarian Impact of Israeli Settlement Policies Fact Sheet - January 2012

2012-01-18T15:50:00.000-05:00

Settlements are illegal under international law. The seizure of land for settlement building and future expansion has resulted in the shrinking of space available for Palestinians to sustain their livelihoods and develop adequate housing, basic infrastructure and services. The failure to respect international law, along with the lack of lack of adequate law enforcement vis-à-vis settler violence and takeover of land has led to a state of impunity, which encourages further violence and undermines the physical security and livelihoods of Palestinians.

Fact Sheet
http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_settlements_FactSheet_January_2012_english.pdf

PCHR: Status of Criminal and Civil Complaints Submitted to Israeli Authorities on behalf of Victims of Operation Cast Lead

2012-01-18T13:33:00.000-05:00

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) represents 1,046 individual victims of Operation Cast Lead, Israel’s 27 December 2008 – 18 January 2009 offensive on the Gaza Strip. Criminal and civil complaints on behalf of each of these victims were submitted to the Israeli authorities; to-date substantive responses have only been received with respect to 2 criminal cases, and 2 civil cases.

Criminal complaints are submitted to the Israeli Military Advocate General. Complaints consist of a request to open a criminal investigation, and are accompanied by an evidence bundle, including, for example, affidavits, medical reports, expert opinions, maps, videos, photographs, and so on. PCHR submitted 490 criminal complaints (covering all 1,046 victims).

Full Press Release
http://www.pchrgaza.org/portal/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8087:status-of-criminal-and-civil-complaints-submitted-to-israeli-authorities-on-behalf-of-victims-of-operation-cast-lead-&catid=144:new-reports

Stuart Reigeluth and Dimitris Bouris: Israel still occupies and isolates Gaza

2012-01-17T01:05:00.000-05:00

Three years ago, Israel was carrying out Operation Cast Lead that took the lives of over 1.500 Palestinians in Gaza. The official reason for the Israeli invasion was to recover a soldier; the intended purpose was to remove Hamas; the result was wanton destruction that "this time we went too far", according to Israeli columnist Gideon Levy.

As a casus belli, Israel claimed that the launching of those home-made Qassam rockets needed to end. The official Israeli figures show that the number of Qassams actually decreased in the summer and autumn of 2008.

Stuart Reigeluth and Dimitris Bouris work at the Council for European Palestinian Relations (www.thecepr.org) in Brussels and London.

Full Article
http://gulfnews.com/opinions/columnists/israel-still-occupies-and-isolates-gaza-1.966813

Norman Finkelstein: There was no war in Gaza, it was a massacre

2012-01-11T23:44:00.000-05:00

Link to Video
http://www.normanfinkelstein.com/norman-finkelstein-there-was-no-war-in-gaza-it-was-a-massacre/

Al Haq: Israeli Army Shoots 12-year-old Boy near Buffer Zone

2012-01-11T13:48:00.000-05:00

A common sound heard by Palestinians living near the so-called buffer zone in the Gaza Strip is the sound of sporadic gun-fire coming from the Israeli controlled border. This gun-fire has deadly consequences. Many Palestinian civilians, usually farmers and rubble-collectors, whose workplace or home lies near the buffer zone, have been killed or injured whilst going about their daily activities.

Full Article
http://www.alhaq.org/documentation/weekly-focuses/517-israeli-army-shoots-12-year-old-boy-near-buffer-zone-

Al Mezan Condemns Destruction and Removal of Al Muntar Crossing and Views This Step as Entrenchment of Siege

2012-01-06T11:12:00.002-05:00

The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) have announced their intent to destroy and remove Al Muntar (Karni) crossing and attached structures. In the morning hours of Monday 2 January 2012, the IOF began destroying buildings at the crossing. This move will wipe out one of Gaza’s main economic gateways, which was used to provide the Strip with commodities and goods. It was also used to export Palestinian agricultural and industrial products from the Gaza Strip to the West Bank and the outside world.

Full Press Release
http://www.mezan.org/en/details.php?id=13227&ddname=Crossings&id2=9&id_dept=9&p=center

Gaza Gateway: Six common misconceptions about Gaza that are so 2011

2012-01-06T11:08:00.000-05:00

In sixth place: “The civilian closure has been lifted and only security restrictions remain”.

Gaza is not as isolated from the rest of the world as it was a few years ago, but it is still cut off from the West Bank and it’s hard to find convincing security reasons why. For example, Israel prohibits students from traveling from Gaza to the West Bank – individual security checks are not even an option because the ban is sweeping. Israel does not allow goods from Gaza to be sold in the West Bank or Israel, while at the same time allowing exports from Gaza to Europe to be transferred through its own airports and seaports.

Full Article
http://www.gazagateway.org/2012/01/six-common-misconceptions-about-gaza-that-are-so-2011/

Al Mezan: Displacement in the “Buffer Zone” Three Years after Operation Cast Lead

2012-01-02T01:55:00.002-05:00

The Buffer Zone is a military no-go zone imposed by Israel, starting at the border fence between Israel and the Gaza Strip and extending a substantial distance into Gazan territory. “Buffer zone,” or sometimes “access-restricted areas,” are terms generally used by Israel to describe the band of Gazan territory to which Palestinian access is effectively denied. (The term “Buffer Zone” is used throughout this factsheet for simplicity’s sake.) Israel treats this border area, which contains much of Gaza’s most valuable arable land, as a free-fire zone, meaning any Gazan resident entering the zone is at risk of death or injury. It also regularly sends troops, including armoured columns, into the border areas to keep the lands razed of any built-up structures or agricultural activity. Despite the mortal threat associated with entering the Buffer Zone, its actual width and area are unclear.

Press Release
http://www.mezan.org/en/details.php?id=13210&ddname=buffer%20zone&id2=7&id_dept=22&p=center

Full Report - 8 pages
http://www.mezan.org/upload/13210.pdf

Factsheet: Israeli Abuses of Gaza Fisherman -- The Need for Protection
http://www.mezan.org/upload/13207.pdf

Daoud Kuttab: War on Gaza -- Three Years Later

2011-12-29T23:55:00.000-05:00

Three years ago the Israeli army initiated a major military offensive against the people of the Gaza strip with the aim of stopping the shelling from Gaza and the release of one of their soldiers that was held in the strip. Over 1,400 Palestinians, many of them women and children, were killed, thousands were injured, and public, private and internationally owned properties were damaged as a result of the attack that came from land, sea and air.

Both publicly stated goals failed in this criminal war against a defenseless population and lightly armed militants. Shelling from Gaza has continued intermittently since the war.

Full Article
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daoud-kuttab/war-on-gaza-three-years-l_b_1173993.html?ref=tw

Al Mezan Calls for Lifting the Siege and Enforcement of International Accountability Mechanisms for Violations of International Law

2011-12-29T23:38:00.000-05:00

Today, Tuesday 27 December 2011, marks the third anniversary of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip (code-named “Operation Cast Lead” (OCL)). During this 22-day military operation, the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) killed hundreds of Palestinians, destroyed and razed tens of thousands of residential houses, public facilities, and agricultural infrastructure, detained hundreds of Palestinians and subjected them to torture, and used civilians, including children, as human shields.

Operation Cast Lead was unprecedented in its scope and brutality. The IOF attacked civilians and civilian objects in flagrant violation of international law, conduct that rises to the level of war crimes and may have constituted crimes against humanity, as described by the UN Fact-Finding Mission.

Full Press Release
http://www.mezan.org/en/details.php?id=13191&ddname=castlead3&id2=9&id_dept=9&p=center

3 Years After Operation Cast Lead Justice has been Comprehensively Denied; PCHR Release 23 Narratives Documenting the Experience of Victims

2011-12-29T23:31:00.003-05:00

Today marks the third anniversary of the commencement of Operation Cast Lead, Israel’s 27 December 2008 – 18 January 2009 offensive on the Gaza Strip. 27 December also marks the anniversary of the single bloodiest day in the history of the occupation; on this day three years ago 334 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces, 76.6% of whom were civilian.

In total, 1,419 Palestinians were killed during Operation Cast Lead, 1,167 (82.2%) of whom were civilians. A further 5,300 were injured.

To mark the anniversary of the attacks, and to highlight the continuing lack of justice, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) will release a series of narratives, documenting the experiences of victims in the three years since the offensive. The story of the Al Ashi family is released today.

Full Press Release
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 Narratives

-29 December 2008: Balousha Family

- 28 December 2008: The Abu Taima family

- 27 December 2008: The Al Ashi Family.

PCHR Factsheet: Overview of Flaws Inherent in the Israeli Judicial System and Criminal Complaints Submitted to the Israeli Authorities on behalf of Victims of Operation Cast Lead

2011-12-29T23:26:00.000-05:00

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) submitted 490 criminal complaints, on behalf of 1,046 victims, to the Israeli Military Advocate General (MAG). These complaints alleged the commission of international crimes and requested the opening of a criminal investigation. The majority of complaints were submitted by mid-2009.

The complaints submitted by PCHR cover virtually the entire spectrum of possible international humanitarian law violations, including the war crimes of: wilful killing, the direct targeting of civilians and civilian objects, the extensive destruction of property, and indiscriminate attacks.

Link to Factsheet
http://www.pchrgaza.org/portal/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7977:factsheet-overview-of-flaws-inherent-in-the-israeli-judicial-system-and-criminal-complaints-submitted-to-the-israeli-authorities-on-behalf-of-victims-of-operation-cast-lead-&catid=56:fact-sheets-&Itemid=18

Al Haq: What is to prevent ‘Cast Lead’ from happening again?

2011-12-29T23:22:00.000-05:00

It is with great disappointment that Al-Haq commemorates a third year since ‘Operation Cast Lead’ resulted in the death of more than 1400 Palestinians in Gaza, and the victims continue to wait for justice. In the aftermath of the Israeli offensive, which was characterised by numerous and systematic violations of the laws of war, the survivors were interviewed, investigations were opened and a United Nations Fact Finding Mission led victims and human rights activists to be hopeful of achieving justice through accountability.

Three years later the international community continues to show its complete lack of political will to achieve justice for the victims who have all but abandoned such expectations. Only three Israeli soldiers have received convictions and minor sentences for their actions during ‘Cast Lead’.

Full Press Release
http://www.alhaq.org/advocacy/targets/united-nations/515-what-is-to-prevent-cast-lead-from-happening-again

A View of Operation Cast Lead from Samouni Street

2011-12-29T23:19:00.000-05:00

A story told from the viewpoint of four children of the extended Samouni family in Gaza. Through animated drawings they express what happened to them and their family during 'Operation Cast Lead.'

Link to Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wld2TIbUfWM

Al Mezan: Children in the Gaza Strip's Access to Medical Care

2011-12-20T03:35:00.000-05:00

Children in the Gaza Strip are often unable to obtain adequate medical care because of the four-year Israeli-imposed closure of the border and Israel’s complete control over the movement of people and goods. The severe lack of medicines and equipment coupled with the prevention of medical personal to travel to develop their skills and knowledge has created a situation where injured and ill patients often have to seek specialized treatment outside of the Gaza Strip. Israel has an obligation to fulfil and make available the highest standard of health to those in the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt). Israel is also obliged under international humanitarian law (IHL) to allow access of medical staff and equipment, as well as patients’ access to adequate healthcare where it has control over their movement, such as the Gaza Strip.

Press Release
http://www.mezan.org/en/details.php?id=13131&ddname=children&id2=7&id_dept=22&p=center

Full Report - 14 pages
http://www.mezan.org/upload/13131.pdf

PCHR Condemns Placing Large Floats 3 Miles from Gaza Seashore to Tighten the Siege Imposed on the Gaza Strip

2011-12-18T21:25:00.000-05:00

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns the placing of large floats by Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) 3 miles from the Gaza Strip seashore, beyond which Palestinian fishermen are banned from sailing. This measure serves to institutionalize the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip, and enhances IOF’s control over the Gaza Strip’s regional water. PCHR warns that this measure will lead to more attacks by IOF against Palestinian fishermen, depriving them of their means of subsistence, under the pretest of sailing beyond the sea floats.

PCHR has obtained affidavits from a number of Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip, in which they expressed concerns that such Israeli measures would tighten the closure imposed on the Gaza Strip and restrict their work by limiting the permissible fishing area to only 3 nautical miles.

Full Press Release
http://www.pchrgaza.org/portal/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7958:pchr-condemns-placing-large-floats-3-miles-from-gaza-seashore-to-tighten-the-siege-imposed-on-the-gaza-strip-&catid=36:pchrpressreleases&Itemid=194

The Monthly Humanitarian Monitor -- November 2011

2011-12-18T21:15:00.001-05:00

This month, more than 90% of 40 demolitions by Israeli authorities targeted Bedouin communities in JV and surrounding Jerusalem. In Gaza, 4 truckloads of strawberries exported to European markets. 90% decline in sardine catch compared to 2008 in Gaza. The Israeli authorities approved 15 new building projects to be implemented by international organizations in Gaza, and allowed entry of limited materials for private-sector factories. Following the October 2011 prisoner exchange, reports by media and HR groups indicate that released prisoners face harassment by Israeli soldiers and death threats from settlers. CAP funded at only 55% in 2011.

Full Report - 17 pages
http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_the_humanitarian_monitor_2011_12_15_english.pdf

Yesh Din: Alleged Investigation -- The Failure of Investigations Into Offenses Committed by IDF Soldiers Against Palestinians

2011-12-13T19:48:00.001-05:00

A new Yesh Din report titled "Alleged Investigation: The Failure of Investigations Into Offenses Committed by IDF Soldiers Against Palestinians", reveals for the first time the systematic failures preventing the success of MPCID (Military Police Criminal Investigations Division) investigations of offenses committed by Israeli soldiers against Palestinians. The result of these failures is that 96.5% of complaints are closed without indictments being filed.

This report is based on 192 complaints monitored by the organization and on the analysis of the contents of 67 MPCID investigation files. The complaints and investigation files cover a wide spectrum of serious offenses against Palestinian civilians and their property including, acts of killing and injury, looting, theft and other property damage, violence, abuse of passers-by and detainees, and more.

Press Release
http://yesh-din.org/infoitem.asp?infocatid=165

Full Report - 109 pages
http://www.yesh-din.org/userfiles/file/Reports-English/Alleged%20Investigation%20%5BEnglish%5D.pdf

Oxfam Gaza Blockade Factsheet - December 2011

2011-12-13T18:22:00.001-05:00

For the vast majority of people in Gaza, life has not become any easier, despite pledges by the Government of Israel in June and December 2010 to ease the ongoing blockade. Not only have certain commitments gone unfulfilled, but the unacceptably high levels of poverty and unemployment show that a token number of trucks cannot deliver what people need to rebuild their shattered lives. Karni crossing has been locked down, exports over the last year have all but ceased, and the entry of materials needed to kick start the economy remain hopelessly delayed. Residents of Gaza do not need more broken promises, they need meaningful change brought through an end to the blockade.

Full Report - 8 pages
http://globalministries.org/news/mee/pdfs/OXFAM-The-Big-Uneasy-Gaza-Factsheet-December-2011.pdf

Al-Haq’s Rejoinder to Gisha’s "Scale of Control" Position Paper: Israel’s Continued Responsibility as the Occupying Power in the Gaza Strip

2011-12-13T17:58:00.001-05:00

In November 2011, the Israeli human rights organisation Gisha published the position paper ‘Scale of Control: Israel’s Continued Responsibility in the Gaza Strip.’ Readjusting its own previous assessment of the situation in the Gaza Strip after the 2005 unilateral ‘disengagement’, Gisha maintains that the international law of occupation currently applies in the Gaza Strip only insofar as Israel persists in directly exercising governmental powers over the territory and population of the Gaza Strip. Gisha’s report asserts that where governmental powers are exercised by the Palestinian authorities, Israel’s obligations would instead stem from a different legal framework identified as “post-occupation obligations”, which provides protection to the civilian population during transition from occupation to the “fulfilment of lawful sovereignty.”

Full Rejoinder - 5 pages
http://www.alhaq.org/images/stories/PDF/Gisha-Rejoinder.pdf

IPS: Israel’s threat to cut Gaza water supply would be "complete catastrophe"

2011-12-13T17:49:00.002-05:00

"Taking our water is not like taking a toy. Water is life, they cannot play with our lives like this," says Maher Najjar, deputy general director of the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility (CMWU) of the recent Israeli threat to cut electricity, water and infrastructure services to the occupied Gaza Strip.

"Everything will be affected: drinking and washing water, sewage and sanitation, hospitals, schools and children," says Ahmed al-Amrain, head of power information at the Palestinian Energy and National Resources Authority (PENRA).

Full Article
http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=106154

UNRWA: Labour Market in the Gaza Strip - A Briefing on First-Half 2011

2011-12-13T17:46:00.000-05:00

In an economy severely depressed for most of the past decade, developments in the first half of 2011 provided some marginal relief. The Gaza labour market in first-half 2011 was characterized by relatively significant growth in employment and an equally significant decline in unemployment relative to the same period in 2010. Total employment grew by 21 percent in the year-on-year comparison, with about 41,270 more people working, with refugees accounting for about half this growth. While the public sector continued to expand employment—particularly among non-refugees—private sector employment grew by more than 50 percent, accounting for the vast bulk of growth.

Full Report
http://unispal.un.org/UNISPAL.nsf/47D4E277B48D9D3685256DDC00612265/1A005627507631838525795F00527879

Al Haq: Exploring the Illegality of ‘Land Swap’ Agreements under Occupation

2011-12-12T18:04:00.001-05:00

The new position paper examines the legal implications of ‘land swap’ agreements concluded between Israel and the Palestinian representatives whilst the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip is ongoing. Given the recent calls of the international community for a kick-start to the peace process between Israel and Palestine based on the 1967 borders with ‘mutually agreed land swaps,’ Al-Haq would like to emphasise that agreements involving land swaps are not compatible with the law of occupation.

In light of the recent Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) proposal, which suggests a 1.9 per cent ‘land swap’ of West Bank territory with Israel, Al-Haq would like to highlight the consequences of any agreement involving territorial exchange under belligerent occupation.

Link to Press Release & Full Report
http://www.alhaq.org/advocacy/topics/housing-land-and-natural-resources/508--land-swap-agreements-under-occupation-are-illegal-

Rami Almeghari: The ridiculous burdens borne by Gaza medical patients

2011-12-02T10:32:00.000-05:00

My family’s lengthy journey to seek medical treatment for my wife began in 2007 as infighting broke out between Fatah and Hamas. We joined the ranks of hundreds of Palestinians in Gaza heading for hospitals in Egypt.

My wife, who is also the mother of our four children, had to wait a month before she could receive treatment at the Nasser Institute in Cairo. On our way back to Gaza, we endured further waiting in the nearby Egyptian beach town al-Arish, hoping that we and many thousands of others who happened to be stranded in Egypt along with us would eventually be able to go back home.

Rami Almeghari is a journalist and university lecturer based in the Gaza Strip.

Full Article
http://electronicintifada.net/content/ridiculous-burdens-borne-gaza-medical-patients/10641

Al Mezan Condemns the IOF Arrest of 11 Fishermen and Calls on International Community to End Israel’s Violations

2011-12-01T12:09:00.001-05:00

The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) continue to attack Palestinian fishermen off the coast of the Gaza Strip where fishing is restricted to three nautical miles. At approximately 10:00 on Tuesday, 29 November 2011, IOF vessels patrolling the Gaza Sea opened fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the coast opposite the district of Khan Younis, in the south of the Gaza Strip. The Israeli vessels then moved towards three of the fishing boats, surrounded them and arrested eleven fishermen who were on board the boats. The IOF took the fishermen and two boats northwards to Ashdod harbour.

Full Press Release
http://www.mezan.org/en/details.php?id=13013&ddname=fisherman&id2=9&id_dept=9&p=center

PCHR Condemns Escalation in Arrest of Palestinian Fishermen in the Gaza Strip
http://www.pchrgaza.org/portal/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7897:pchr-condemns-escalation-in-arrest-of-palestinian-fishermen-in-the-gaza-strip-&catid=36:pchrpressreleases&Itemid=194

BADIL: Israel and the Crime of Apartheid -- Towards a Comprehensive Analysis

2011-11-29T21:32:00.000-05:00

The BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights is pleased to announce the publication of the Autumn 2011 issue of al-Majdal (issue #47), titled Israel and the Crime of Apartheid: Towards a Comprehensive Analysis. This issue is the first of two issues looking at issues related to Israeli Apartheid from a number of vantage points. This first issue will include many of the testimonies to be presented at the Russell Tribunal in early November, with the later issue looking at the vision of the anti-apartheid movement.

In this issue, BADIL's staff set out the legal context of the denial of the Palestinian self-determination and Max du Plessis provides background to the prohibition of Apartheid in international law.

Full Press Release
http://badil.org/en/press-releases/138-2011/3301-badil-releases-issue-47-of-al-majdal-autumn-2011-israel-and-the-crime-of-apartheid-towards-a-comprehensive-analysis

Full Report - 47 pages
http://badil.org/en/documents/category/35-publications?download=934%3Aalmajdal-47

Ruqaya Izzidien / Al-Akhbar English: Gaza -- Rebuilding from Rubble

2011-11-29T14:00:00.000-05:00

The bedroom of Nasser Abu Said features two-meter holes punched by Israeli rockets and his front door is splattered with deep gashes from the nailbomb which clawed his garden apart and killed his wife. The staircase is half-collapsed, there is no roof and involuntary windows have cropped up all over the house, each one marking the entry of one of the nine bombs that hit his home, meters away from the eastern border with Israel in the Jahr el Deek neighborhood. This is what a shelled house looks like in Gaza.

The Gaza Strip experiences frequent airstrikes which have targeted every form of infrastructure over the last few months, leaving destroyed farmland, factories and houses in their wake.

Full Article
http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/gaza-rebuilding-rubble

PCHR: Israeli Authorities Prevent Reparation of Major Lines Providing Electricity to the Gaza Strip for the Thirteenth Consecutive Day

2011-11-29T13:58:00.000-05:00

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns the prevention of technical crews from repairing one of the major lines that carry electricity from Israel to the Gaza Strip by Israeli authorities. The line has been disrupted for 13 days which has resulted in aggravating the electricity crisis affecting the Gaza strip and increasing the power shortage by 37.3%. PCHR is concerned over the consequences of the continued disruption of the line, especially increasing hours of electricity outages and the resulting impact on daily services provided to the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip.

Mr. Jamal al-Dirdissawi, Director of Public Relations in Gaza Electricity Distribution Company (GEDCO), stated to PCHR that on 17 November 2011, one of the major lines that carry electricity from Israel to the Gaza Strip was disrupted near the northern border.

Full Press Release
http://www.pchrgaza.org/portal/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7886:israeli-authorities-prevent-reparation-of-major-lines-providing-electricity-to-the-gaza-strip-for-the-thirteenth-consecutive-day-&catid=36:pchrpressreleases&Itemid=194

Gisha: Gaza Export Season -- Negligible Numbers, Distant Markets

2011-11-28T10:20:00.001-05:00

At the start of Gaza's winter export season which began today, Gisha raises a question for the Israeli Defense Ministry: Why are residents of Gaza banned from transferring goods to their natural markets in Israel and the West Bank?

A select number of farmers in Gaza are beginning to export flowers, peppers, tomatoes and strawberries to Europe. Two truckloads of strawberries were permitted to leave Gaza today as part of an exception to the ban on export that Israel has imposed since June 2007. Each year since then, Israel has allowed a few truckloads of winter agricultural produce to leave Gaza as part of a project sponsored by the Netherlands.

Full Article
http://reliefweb.int/node/461536

For up-to-date information on the Gaza closure, see Gisha's Gaza Cheat Sheet
http://www.gisha.org/UserFiles/File/publications/Info_Gaza_Eng.pdf

For graphs detailing outgoing goods from Gaza:
http://www.gisha.org/graph.asp?lang_id=en&p_id=903

Al Jazeera World: Palestina Amore

2011-11-23T20:53:00.001-05:00

On May 31, 2010, an Israeli military raid on an aid flotilla sailing to the blockaded Gaza Strip resulted in the deaths of 19 unarmed peace activists, prompting international condemnation over what was perceived as a brutal and unjustified use of force.

Five of those killed were Italian nationals who were part of the humanitarian mission attempting to break the blockade by delivering goods and construction materials to the occupied Palestinian territory. Israeli sanctions on Gaza since 2001 have led to widespread poverty and rampant unemployment there.

But the deadly attack on the flotilla has only served to further motivate Italian supporters of the Palestinian cause.

Full Link
http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/aljazeeraworld/2011/10/2011102014202207205.html

Rami Almeghari: The anguish of a Gaza cancer patient in Cairo

2011-11-21T21:13:00.000-05:00

It took five days before Mohammad Wadi was able to speak with doctors at the Nasser Institute hospital in Cairo, Egypt. Following his relentless attempts to gain admission, the forty-year-old Palestinian from Gaza arrived on Monday last week at the hospital’s leukemia department.

On the previous Thursday, Wadi, escorted by his nephew Ramadan, took urgent referral papers from Gaza’s Ministry of Health and immediately set off to the Rafah border crossing in the southern Gaza Strip.

“The first three days, I had to go to a private clinic, for I was not admitted at the hospital,” Wadi explained to The Electronic Intifada while sitting in a wheelchair at the leukemia ward.

Full Article
http://electronicintifada.net/content/anguish-gaza-cancer-patient-cairo/10613

Médecins Sans Frontières: Gaza Strip deprived of critical medications and medical care

2011-11-17T13:49:00.002-05:00

Health facilities in the Gaza Strip face a serious shortage of drugs and medical supplies. In late September, 36% of essential drugs were lacking. While MSF makes regular donations, no aid actor can meet the full range of needs.

The Israeli embargo of the Gaza Strip, which began in 2007, together with years of financial crisis within the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah and the chronic lack of cooperation between the Palestinian Authority and Gaza authorities, have caused harm and threaten Gaza's health system and its patients.

Full Article
http://www.msf.org/msf/articles/2011/11/gaza--residents-deprived-of-critical-medications-and-medical-care.cfm

World Health Organization: Referral of Patients - Gaza Strip
http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Full%20Report_340.pdf

OCHA: The Monthly Humanitarian Monitor - October 2011

2011-11-17T10:37:00.000-05:00

The events of October continued to highlight the vulnerability facing significant segments of the Palestinian population. In Area C of the West Bank, 20 bedouin communities east of Jerusalem face imminent eviction by Jan 2012. Israeli settler violence continued to undermine the olive harvest in the northern West Bank. The Israeli army issued a military order amending a few provisions related to Palestinian children facing detention, including redefining children 16 and 17 years old as minors. In Gaza, the livelihoods of date farmers are undermined by the outbreak of a new pestilence.

Full Report - 14 pages
http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_the_humanitarian_monitor_2011_11_15_english.pdf

Al Jazeera World: Gaza Lives On (Mediatown.ps)

2011-11-15T16:56:00.002-05:00

Since 2007, most of the approximately 1.5 million Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip have suffered gravely from an intensified land, air and sea blockade imposed by Israel.

The blockade, deemed illegal by the United Nations, was implemented after Hamas, a Palestinian faction labelled a terrorist organisation by Tel Aviv, took control over the territory and ousted Fatah officials from power in the battle of Gaza.

After more than two decades of tight sanctions and even though Israel eased the restrictions on non-military goods in 2010, the blockade continues to take a heavy toll on Gaza's civilian population, with many essential and basic goods banned from being exported or imported. This has led to rampant poverty and a massive unemployment rate in Gaza.

Link to Video
http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/aljazeeraworld/2011/10/20111019124914593989.html

Gaza Gateway: Scale of Control - Israel's Continued Responsibility in the Gaza Strip

2011-11-15T11:11:00.001-05:00

Ever since disengagement in 2005, almost every discussion about Israel’s policy toward the Gaza Strip eventually raises the question: Does Israel still control Gaza? On one side of the argument, there are those who claim that Israel no longer controls Gaza and therefore no longer bears responsibility for what goes on in the Strip. On the other, there are those who believe Israel alone is responsible for the situation in Gaza because it continues to exercise full control over the Strip, even after the removal of its permanent military bases and settlements.

Israel continues to exercise control over significant aspects of life in the Gaza Strip, but it has relinquished control – and with it, responsibility – of other aspects. “Scale of Control” offers a legal framework for Israel’s responsibility in the Gaza Strip based on viewing the “end of occupation” as a process that takes place over time.

Overview of the Project
http://www.gazagateway.org/2011/11/scale-of-control-the-israeli-control-over-the-gaza-strip/

Full Report - 76 pages
http://www.gisha.org/UserFiles/File/scaleofcontrol/scaleofcontrol_en.pdf

Livestream of the Freedom Riders

2011-11-15T10:10:00.003-05:00

Watch live streaming video from freedomriders at livestream.com

Link to Video
http://www.livestream.com/freedomriders

Rafeef Ziadah – ‘We teach life, sir’

2011-11-14T13:53:00.000-05:00

Link to Video
http://mondoweiss.net/2011/11/rafeef-ziadah-we-teach-life-sir.html

ISM: Palestinian Freedom Riders to ride settler buses to Jerusalem

2011-11-13T12:35:00.000-05:00

Groups of Palestinian Freedom Riders will attempt to board segregated settler buses heading to Jerusalem through the occupied West Bank this Tuesday November 15, in an act of civil disobedience that takes its inspiration from the US Civil Rights Movement Freedom Riders aim to challenge Israel’s apartheid policies, the ban on Palestinians’ access to Jerusalem, and the overall segregated reality created by a military and settler occupation that is the cornerstone of Israel’s colonial regime. While parallels exist between occupied Palestine and the segregated U.S. South in terms of the underlying racism and the humiliating treatment suffered then by blacks and now by Palestinians, there are also significant differences. In the 1960s U.S. South, black people had to sit in the back of the bus; in occupied Palestine, Palestinians are not even allowed ON the bus nor on the roads that the buses travel on, which are built on stolen Palestinian land.

Full Article
http://palsolidarity.org/2011/11/palestinian-freedom-riders-to-ride-settler-buses-to-jerusalem/

Ali Abunimah: Bill in Congress seeks to investigate US Boat to Gaza for "terrorist" ties

2011-11-13T12:33:00.000-05:00

A bill introduced in the United States Congress last month would require the State Department to investigate “The sources of any logistical, technical, or financial support for the Gaza flotilla ships, including the Audacity of Hope, that were set to set sail from Greece on July 1, 2011.”

The bill, which contains numerous inflammatory and unsubstantiated claims from an Israeli “anti-terrorism” organization, would further criminalize American citizens’ solidarity with Palestinians.

House Resolution 3131 is sponsored by Representative Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and is co-sponsored by 12 other members of Congress from both parties including notorious anti-Palestinian campaigners, Representatives Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) and Eliot Engel (D-NY).

Full Article
http://electronicintifada.net/blog/ali-abunimah/bill-congress-seeks-investigate-us-boat-gaza-terrorist-ties

Al Mezan: Israel Must Allow Gazan Students to Reach West Bank Universities

2011-11-13T11:44:00.000-05:00

The Al Mezan Center for Human Rights reiterates its condemnation of the blanket Israeli ban on travel for Gazan students who are admitted to study at Palestinian universities in the West Bank. Al Mezan reasserts its support for Gazan students who wish to study at Birzeit University in Ramallah in the West Bank, and calls on the Israeli authorities to allow Gazan students to reach their universities freely. Al Mezan has started providing legal advice and support to students and, in cooperation with Gisha - Legal Center for Freedom of Movement, has been working on submitting a petition to the Israeli Supreme Court demanding its intervention to remove the illegal ban on students’ movement within the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), including the West Bank.

Full Press Release
http://www.mezan.org/en/details.php?id=12884&ddname=education&id2=9&id_dept=9&p=center

Ramzy Baroud: The Seizure of the Gaza Boats

2011-11-13T11:31:00.000-05:00

Another mission accomplished, or so it seems. Israeli navy ships have managed to thwart yet another civil society ‘provocation’ (as described by a spokesman for the Israel Embassy in Dublin, Irish Times, November 4).

Thus the 27 activists from nine countries aboard two boats were rounded up and hauled, along with their ‘provocative’ medical supplies, to the Israeli port of Ashdod.

It was a successful operation conducted by a well-equipped navy, one that is credited for sinking numerous Gaza fishing boats, while forcing fishermen to swim naked back to shore. Of course, one can hardly address such valor without mention of the May 2010 attack on the Mavi Marmara, which killed nine Turkish activists and wounded many more.

Full Article
http://www.palestinechronicle.com/view_article_details.php?id=17230

The Russell Tribunal On Palestine Cape Town Session: Summary Of Findings

2011-11-13T11:10:00.000-05:00

The Russell Tribunal on Palestine (RToP) is an international citizen-based Tribunal of conscience created in response to the demands of civil society (NGOs, charities, unions, faith-based organisations) to educate public opinion and put pressure on decision makers. In view of the failure to implement the Advisory Opinion of 9 July 2004 of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) concerning the construction by Israel of a wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the failure to implement resolution ES-10/15 confirming the ICJ Opinion, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 20 July 2004, and the Gaza events of December 2008 – January 2009, committees were established in different countries to promote and sustain a citizen’s initiative in support of the rights of the Palestinian people.

Full Summary
http://www.alhaq.org/advocacy/topics/civil-and-social-rights/489-the-russell-tribunal-on-palestine-cape-town-session-summary-of-findings-7-november-2011

ISM: Israeli navy kidnaps two Palestinian children and uncle fishing in Gazan waters

2011-11-13T11:04:00.000-05:00

Seventeen-year-old Abdul Qader Baker still has no idea why the Israeli navy surrounded his small fishing boat at 4 a.m. Thursday morning, ordered him, his 17-year-old cousin Mohamed Baker, and his uncle, Arafat Baker, to strip off their clothes, stand shivering in their underwear for an hour and a half and ultimately forced the group to Ashod. The two high school students were released approximately twelve hours later, but their uncle remains in Israeli detention.

Full Article
http://palsolidarity.org/2011/11/israeli-navy-kidnaps-two-palestinian-children-and-uncle-fishing-in-gazan-waters/

UNRWA: Socioeconomic Developments in the Occupied Palestinian Territory 2010

2011-11-10T10:19:00.000-05:00

Developments in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) economy in 2010 suggest continued growth in output and employment, on the one hand, and an underlying labour market unable to absorb a labour force growing in excess of 3.5 percent per year, i.e. at a rate more rapid than average population growth. The private sector led growth in output and employment in both the West Bank and Gaza but in both cases the spending power of large public sector work forces, as well as direct public sector spending, contributed fundamentally to private sector growth. Private sector growth was led in both the West Bank and Gaza by construction activity. In Gaza, the construction surge helped partially alleviate a deficit in residential housing caused by years of siege and the inability to import significant amounts of building materials.

Full Report - 39 pages
http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/2011110145715.pdf

Al Jazeera: Challenging the Israeli army in court

2011-11-09T23:55:00.000-05:00

This month, hearings in Tristan Anderson's civil case against the Israeli army will begin in Jerusalem. Like the families of Rachel Corrie, Brian Avery and countless Palestinians, Tristan and his family are seeking to hold the otherwise indemnified Israeli military responsible in Israeli courts.

Tristan, a 39-year-old American, was shot in the head with an "extended range tear gas" canister on March 13, 2009 in the West Bank village of Nilin. The canister directly hit the right side of his forehead, breaking his skull, penetrating his right eye and devastating his frontal lobe.

Charlotte Silver is a journalist based in the West Bank, Palestine.

Full Article
http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/11/201111611108224290.html

IRIN: Aid agencies help Gaza’s poor in Eid Al-Adha holiday

2011-11-09T14:38:00.000-05:00

Impoverished Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip are looking to aid agencies to deliver food assistance during this Eid Al-Adha holiday season.

International NGOs, many Islamic, have been purchasing sheep and cows in preparation for meat distribution to assist the most vulnerable families across Gaza, with several providing gifts and warm clothing as the winter season starts.

Islamic NGOs are launching ‘Qurbani’ appeals worldwide. Qurbani refers to the animals (camels, cattle, goats or sheep) sacrificed by Muslim adults as an obligatory act of worship, and those that that have the means should give a charitable Qurbani, according to most Muslims.

Full Article
http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportid=94151

Israel Deports Democracy Now! Correspondent Jihan Hafiz; Most Gaza Flotilla Activists Still Detained

2011-11-08T11:29:00.000-05:00

The Israeli government continues to detain a number of passengers seized in international waters Friday while trying to challenge the Israeli naval blockade on Gaza. The passengers were on two boats — one from Canada and the other from Ireland — as part of the “Freedom Waves to Gaza” flotilla — which aimed to port in Gaza. According to flotilla organizers, some 20 activists are believed to remain in custody after refusing to sign statements asserting they had entered Israel illegally. Flotilla organizers have accused the Israeli military of abusing the activists, with allegations of physical assault and the use of tasers.

Full Link
http://www.democracynow.org/2011/11/8/israel_deports_democracy_now_correspondent_jihan

Israel Intercepts Gaza-Bound Flotilla; Dozens Detained Including Democracy Now! Correspondent

2011-11-07T11:54:00.000-05:00

Israeli forces intercepted two Gaza-bound boats in international waters on Friday to prevent the boats from breaking the naval blockade of Gaza. The Canadian and Irish boats made up the "Freedom Waves to Gaza" flotilla. Israel detained the 27 activists on board, as well as all of the journalists — including Democracy Now! correspondent Jihan Hafiz. According to flotilla organizers, 21 people remain in Israeli custody, including Hafiz.

Full Link
http://www.democracynow.org/2011/11/7/israel_intercepts_gaza_bound_flotilla_dozens

Mark LeVine / Al Jazeera: Goldstone and the futility of repentance

2011-11-07T09:56:00.000-05:00

It has not been a good two years for South African Justice Richard Goldstone. Handed the politically explosive task of heading a UN fact-finding mission into Operation Cast Lead, Israel's 2008-2009 invasion of Gaza, whatever conclusions arrived at by the eminent juror and his colleagues were sure to anger one or both parties to the conflict. And so they did.

But Hamas had far less to lose than Israel from the findings of the mission, which responded to the report by mobilising an international campaign to delegitimise not just its findings, but its main author as well.

Mark LeVine is a professor of history at UC Irvine and senior visiting researcher at the Centre for Middle Eastern Studies at Lund University in Sweden.

Full Article
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2011/11/2011115141434848384.html

Medea Benjamin: Jailed for Sailing to Gaza, Challenging the Blockade

2011-11-05T18:23:00.000-04:00

Two boats full of courageous passengers were on their way to Gaza when they were intercepted on Friday, November 4, by the Israeli military in international waters. We call the passengers courageous because they sailed from Turkey on November 2 with the knowledge that at any moment they might be boarded by Israeli commandos intent on stopping them -- perhaps violently, as the Israeli military did in 2010 when they killed nine humanitarian aid workers on the Turkish boat named Mavi Marmara.

The boats -- one from Canada and one from Ireland -- were carrying 27 passengers, including press and peace activists from Ireland, Canada, the United States, Australia and Palestine. They were unarmed, and the Israeli military knew that. They were simply peace activists wanting to connect with civilians in Gaza, and the Israeli military knew that.

Medea Benjamin is the cofounder of CODEPINK and Global Exchange.

Full Article
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/medea-benjamin/gaza-blockade-boats_b_1077273.html

Act Now: Rafah border crossing closed for 6 days

2011-11-05T15:28:00.002-04:00

Only hours after activists from popular committees and youth movements throughout the West Bank formally presented the Egyptian ambassador, His Excellency Yasser Othman, with an appeal and a petition to open the Rafah crossing unconditionally and permanently, the Palestinians of Gaza learned that the crossing will in fact be closed for six consecutive days during the Eid holiday.

A petition was originally issued by Gaza-based civil society sectors including academics, students, workers, and youth. It was immediately supported publically by Egyptian revolutionaries and grass-roots organizations as well as renowned International human rights defenders such as Desmond Tutu and Richard Falk.

Link to Action Alert
http://palsolidarity.org/2011/11/act-now-rafah-border-crossing-closed-for-6-days/

OCHA: Israeli Settler Violence in the West Bank - November 2011

2011-11-04T11:53:00.001-04:00

The weekly average of settler attacks resulting in Palestinian casualties and property increased by 40% in 2011 compared to 2010, and by over 165% compared to 2009.

In 2011, three Palestinians have been killed and 167 injured by Israeli settlers. In addition, one been killed, and 101 others injured, by Israeli soldiers during clashes between Israeli settlers

Eight Israeli settlers have been killed and 30 others injured by Palestinians in 2011, compared killed and 43 injured, during the same period in 2010.

In 2011, nearly 10,000 Palestinian-owned trees, primarily olive trees, have been damaged by Israeli settlers, significantly undermining the livelihoods of hundreds of families.

Link to Fact Sheet - 2 pages
http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_settler_violence_FactSheet_October_2011_english.pdf

Al Jazeera: Israeli navy boards Gaza-bound vessels

2011-11-04T11:04:00.001-04:00

Israeli naval forces have boarded two boats carrying pro-Palestinian activists bound for the Gaza Strip, foiling their latest attempt to break the four-year Israeli blockade of the territory.

"Israel navy soldiers boarded the vessels which were en-route to the Gaza Strip, attempting to break the maritime security blockade that is in place in accordance with international law," an Israeli military statement said on Friday.

The military said the vessels, carrying supplies and 27 pro-Palestinian activists, were boarded after numerous calls to the activists to turn around.

Full Article
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/11/201111414120219661.html

Norman Finkelstein: Torpedoing the Law -- How the Palmer Report Justified Israel’s Blockade of Gaza

2011-11-04T02:42:00.001-04:00

On May 31st, 2010, Israeli commandos killed nine passengers aboard a humanitarian flotilla destined for Gaza. (Eight of the nine were Turkish citizens, one was a dual U.S.-Turkish citizen.) On August 2nd, 2010, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed a Panel of Inquiry (POI) to “examine and identify the facts, circumstances and context of the incident,” and to “consider and recommend ways of avoiding similar incidents in the future.” After the Secretary-General selected singularly corrupt and criminal Colombian ex-president Alvaro Uribe as Vice-Chair, it was predictable—and predicted at the time—that the panel would produce a whitewash. In this respect the POI’s final report did not disappoint.

The Turkish government was seemingly less invested in the POI report than in eliciting a formal Israeli apology for the killing of its citizens.

Full Article - 19 pages
http://www.insightturkey.com/Insight_Turkey_Vol_13_4_2011_Finkelstein.pdf

David Poort / Al Jazeera: History of Israeli blockade on Gaza

2011-11-03T17:59:00.000-04:00

With the recent agreement to swap 1,000 Palestinian prisoners for the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, Israel may have lost one of its key justifications for its blockade against the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli policy of actively laying siege to the territory, tacitly supported by Egypt under the rule of former president Hosni Mubarak, has been in place since Hamas violently took over power from Fatah in 2007 after it had won elections a year earlier.

The blockade has taken on many shapes and forms over the years. It has been tightened, eased and tightened again, but the changes made - usually a result of international pressure - have been largely cosmetic.

There is no shortage of food in Gaza [though food insecurity is high] and recent developments have even triggered what could be described as a 'construction boom'.

Full Article
http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/features/2011/10/20111030172356990380.html

Democracy Now!: Video Report from Gaza-Bound Flotilla Attempting to Break Israeli Blockade

2011-11-03T16:02:00.001-04:00

A Canadian boat and Irish boat quietly left a Turkish port Wednesday, bound for Gaza. Democracy Now! first broke the news on our live broadcast yesterday. This flotilla, named Freedom Waves to Gaza, marks the latest attempt by international activists to break the Israeli naval blockade of Gaza. The ships are hoping to reach Gaza by Friday, but Israel has threatened to stop the ships.

Full Article
http://www.democracynow.org/2011/11/3/exclusive_video_report_from_gaza_bound

Palestinian Center for Human Rights: Closure of Gaza Must Be Lifted; PCHR Welcomes the "Freedom Waves" Flotilla

2011-11-03T15:58:00.000-04:00

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) welcomes the "Freedom Waves" Flotilla that left Turkey heading to Gaza to be in solidarity with the Palestinian civilians and to end the illegal closure imposed on the Gaza Strip. PCHR calls upon the international community to exert pressure on the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) to ensure security and safety of the international activists, who carry love messages and humanitarian aids from thousands of Americans from the USA. PCHR praises the courageous decision taken by the flotilla to break the conspiracy of silence and the illegal and inhumane closure imposed on civilians in the Gaza Strip.

According to PCHR's follow-up, at 10:00 pm, Gaza time, on Wednesday, 02 November 2011, the "Freedom Waves" Flotilla started sailing from Turkey's regional waters towards Gaza.

Full Statement
http://www.pchrgaza.org/portal/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7840:closure-of-gaza-must-be-lifted-pchr-welcomes-the-qfreedom-wavesq-flotilla-&catid=36:pchrpressreleases&Itemid=194

Richard Falk / Al Jazeera: Goldstone walks alone on a bridge to nowhere

2011-11-03T13:20:00.000-04:00

Surely the New York Times would not dare turn down a piece from the new Richard Goldstone. He had already recast himself as the self-appointed guardian of Israel’s world reputation. This, despite the fact that he had earlier been anointed as the distinguished jurist who admirably put aside his ethnic identity and personal affiliations when it came to carrying out his professional work as a specialist in international criminal law.

Goldstone was even seemingly willing to confront the Zionist furies of Israel when criticised by one of their own adherents in chairing the UN panel appointed to consider allegations of Israeli war crimes during the Gaza War of 2008-09.

Full Article
http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/11/2011113134340845649.html

ISM: #FreedomWaves launches to bring Gaza humanitarian aid

2011-11-02T14:56:00.002-04:00

On Wednesday, November 2, two international ships left the Turkish harbor to carry humanitarian aid through the Israeli blockade of Gaza.

The event, called ‘Freedom Waves for Gaza’, unites 27 activists from 9 countries, including America, Canada, Denmark, Belgium, Germany and Australia, alongside a Palestinian Haifa, in a broad-based international movement to break Israel’s illegal and immoral suffocation of the 1.6 million inhabitants of the Gaza Strip. The Irish yacht Saoirse (Freedom), which carries 15 activists, and the Canadian boat Tahrir (Liberation), which holds 12, will attempt to carry $30,000 in medical supplies beyond the Israeli blockade later this week. ‘Freedom Waves for Gaza’ is the 11th attempt by international activists to deliver humanitarian aid through the Israeli blockade of Gaza since 2008.

Ben Lorber is a volunteer with International Solidarity Movement and writer for the Alternative Information Center.

Full Article
http://palsolidarity.org/2011/11/freedomwaves-launches-to-bring-gaza-humanitarian-aid/

ISM: Act now to defend today’s boats to Gaza

2011-11-02T13:55:00.000-04:00

Two boats, called “Freedom Waves to Gaza,” are now traveling on the high seas to the besieged Gaza Strip. Their civilian passengers include people from five countries, including Palestinians from 1948. This is another non-violent attempt to break Israel’s siege, an illegal policy that has forced Gaza’s Palestinian residents into subsistence on international aid and subjected them to severe travel restrictions to and from the territory.

“Freedom Waves to Gaza” has been kept secret until now for fear of Israeli sabotage and obstruction, as happened with Freedom Flotilla 2: Stay Human. Now we have to make sure that Israel does not attack “Freedom Waves to Gaza,” preventing its arrival in the Strip, as happened with the first Freedom Flotilla, in open violation of international law and with the silent complicity of the Western world. To avoid this we need your help.

You are asked to act in favor of this initiative in any way you consider effective in your context. In particular, we propose:

Spreading the news of this initiative as much as possible, and demand that the media report about it. Israel may act less violently if it feels the world’s eyes fixed upon it.

Pressuring the United Nations and the international community, following the example of young Palestinians in the West Bank, who will hold a sit-in at the UN complex in Ramallah, asking the international body “to take urgent action to protect this mission as well as to end its compliance with Israel’s criminal blockade of Gaza.”

Organizing protests if Israel’s reaction threatens to prevent the activists from reaching the port of Gaza.

We appeal to your humanity to act, and act with urgency. The boats have already left port and the success of this enterprise, depends on the support they receive from the outside.

Full Link
http://palsolidarity.org/2011/11/act-now-to-defend-today%e2%80%99s-boats-to-gaza/

Action Alert: Boats Sailing Now to Gaza! Spread the word.
http://ustogaza.org/latest/action-alert-boats-sailing-now-to-gaza-spread-the-word/

Al Jazeera: Aid ships head from Turkish port to Gaza

2011-11-02T11:25:00.002-04:00

Two boats carrying pro-Palestinian activists have reached international waters of the eastern Mediterranean and are making their way towards the Gaza Strip, in the latest attempt to break the Israeli blockade against the territory.

The Tahrir, or Canadian Boat to Gaza, and the MV Saoirse, the Irish boat to Gaza, left the port of Fethiye in southwest Turkey on Wednesday after Turkish authorities gave them permission to sail to the Greek island of Rhodes.

The Turkish coast guard briefly escorted the ships before the Tahrir and Saoirse took a turn towards Gaza.

Sailing under the flag of the Comoros Islands, the Tahrir is carrying six activists, a captain and five journalists.

The Saoirse - sailing under the US flag - has 12 Irish nationals on board, none of whom are journalists.

Full Article
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/11/201111213194344964.html

ISM: Israel drops missile on North Gaza neighborhood, no one cares

2011-11-01T21:10:00.000-04:00

The Israeli Air Force fired a missile into a Beit Hanoun residential neighborhood in north Gaza early Sunday morning. The missile landed in a grove surrounded by homes, creating a crater the size of a tennis court and destroying over forty orange and olive trees. Chunks of shrapnel and oranges lay scattered about the grove

Local children and area residents interviewed appeared to be in shock.

Full Article
http://palsolidarity.org/2011/11/israel-drops-missile-on-north-gaza-neighborhood-no-one-cares/

PCHR Factsheet: The Buffer Zone in the Gaza Strip - September 2011

2011-11-01T20:48:00.000-04:00

The so-called “buffer zone” is a military no-go area that extends along the entire northern and eastern perimeter of the Gaza Strip's border with Israel, inside Palestinian territory, as well as at sea. The precise areas designated by Israel as “buffer zone” are unknown; changing Israeli policy is typically enforced with live fire.

Full Report - 4 pages
http://www.pchrgaza.org/files/2011/factsheet-bufferzone-sept.pdf

Report of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories

2011-11-01T20:40:00.002-04:00

The present report reflects information gathered during the Special Committee’s mission to the occupied Palestinian territory, specifically the Gaza Strip. The Committee also convened meetings in Jordan. The report places emphasis on the situation of children in the occupied Palestinian territory, the situation of Palestinians detained by Israel and Israel’s blockade of Gaza. It also addresses continuing concerns throughout the occupied territories, such as confiscation of land, demolitions, expansion of settlements and restrictions on freedom of movement.

Full Report - 22 pages
http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N11/508/53/PDF/N1150853.pdf?OpenElement

PCHR Condemns Israeli Escalation of Attacks against Palestinian Fishermen in the Gaza Strip

2011-11-01T09:04:00.002-04:00

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns the Israeli Navy's escalation of attacks against Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip that resulted in damages to fishing tools and equipment, detention of two fishermen and confiscation of their boat. Besides, the two fishermen were questioned, cruelly and degradingly treated and prevented from sailing and working freely. PCHR calls upon the international community to immediately put an end to these violations and exert pressure on the Israel to stop the policy of fighting civilians, including fishermen, in their livelihood.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR and testimonies of eyewitnesses, at approximately 03:30 on Thursday, 27 October 2011, Israeli warplanes targeted a "container", which is used to store fishing equipment and tools.

Full Press Release
http://www.pchrgaza.org/portal/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7820:pchr-condemns-israeli-escalation-of-attacks-against-palestinian-fishermen-in-the-gaza-strip-&catid=36:pchrpressreleases&Itemid=194

Rami Almeghari: Gaza olive trade recovers slowly from siege, attacks

2011-10-31T13:50:00.000-04:00

Seventy-five-year-old Khaled Ali al-Farra leaned on a stick as he waited at the olive oil extraction plant near the entrance of his home town of Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip. Inside, his olives were being pressed, an annual autumn ritual that he and many other farmers undertake to obtain a staple food for al-Farra’s family.

“Back in 1956, I planted 15 olive trees and every season I manage to extract a large amount of oil produced by these trees and keep some of the olives to pickle,” al-Farra told The Electronic Intifada.

Rami Almeghari is a journalist and university lecturer based in the Gaza Strip.

Full Article
http://electronicintifada.net/content/gaza-olive-trade-recovers-slowly-siege-attacks/10539

ICAHD Report: No Home, No Homeland -- A New Normative Framework for Examining the Practice of Administrative Home Demolitions in East Jerusalem

2011-10-31T11:42:00.000-04:00

The pretext for home demolitions in East Jerusalem is solely administrative. Administrative home demolitions entail the demolition of homes and structures built without Israeli authorization.

While Palestinians represent about 30% of Jerusalem's population, they live in an area that comprises only 9% of the city. The state of Israel is spearheading a policy for the Jewish population of Jerusalem to be a majority of 70%, while keeping the Palestinian population at 30%.

Full Press Release
http://www.icahd.org/?p=7845

Full Report - 77 pages
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B1AOvsjv8IjdMDNkYWU0MjItNDQ3ZS00NTBlLThkOTgtN2Y3NjZhODJkY2Fk&hl=en_US

Huwaida Arraf: ‘They have lies to spin; we have truths to tell’

2011-10-30T23:07:00.000-04:00

Aljamal: First, could you please give us a brief introduction about ISM?

Arraf: The International Solidarity Movement (ISM) is a Palestinian-led movement committed to resisting the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land using nonviolent, direct-action methods and principles. We founded this international coalition to support and strengthen the Palestinian popular resistance by providing the Palestinian people with a resource -- international protection and a voice -- with which to resist, nonviolently, an overwhelming military occupation force.

Yousef M. Aljamal of Gaza's Center for Political Development Studies interviews with Huwaida Arraf, cofounder of the International Solidarity Movement.

Full Article
http://mondoweiss.net/2011/10/huwaida-arraf-they-have-lies-to-spin-we-have-truths-to-tell.html

Laila El Haddad / Al Shabaka: The Geopolitics of the Hamas-Israel Prisoner Exchange

2011-10-30T11:28:00.000-04:00

Most analyses of the Hamas-Israel prisoner exchange have focused on the benefits and challenges for the Hamas-led Gaza government, Israel, and the Ramallah-based, Fatah-led Palestinian Authority (PA). But the prisoner exchange should also be seen against the backdrop of how each actor is seeking to position themselves in the region’s shifting geopolitics, with a view to the future.

For Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this was not just an effort to win popularity at home and overcome isolation abroad. It was also a goodwill gesture to Turkey, still seething from the May 2010 flotilla attack, and from Israel’s arrogance in refusing to formally apologize.

Full Article
http://al-shabaka.org/geopolitics-hamas-israel-prisoner-exchange?page=show

IRIN: Concerns over Palestinian children in Israeli custody

2011-10-27T10:50:00.001-04:00

While there have been emotional scenes after the release of 477 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, concerns are being raised about the plight of 164 Palestinian children from the West Bank in Israeli custody.

They were either sentenced or are being detained, mainly for stone-throwing, according to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) which, along with other international NGOs, is appealing to the Israeli government to release all Palestinian children in Israeli military detention.

It is unclear whether the children will be part of the second wave of 550 releases in the coming two months.

Full Article
http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportid=94013

DCI Press Release - Voices from East Jerusalem, The Situation facing Palestinian Children
http://www.dci-palestine.org/documents/new-dci-report-voices-east-jerusalem-situation-facing-palestinian-children-2011

Full Report - 68 pages
http://www.dci-palestine.org/sites/default/files/east_jerusalem_final_design.pdf

Al Jazeera: Hoda's Story

2011-10-27T10:06:00.000-04:00

In March 2003, 12-year-old Hoda Darwish was sitting at her desk in a UN elementary school in Khan Younis on the Gaza Strip when an Israeli high-velocity bullet was fired through her classroom window. It hit Hoda in the head. The doctors at the hospital said that she would never awaken from her coma.

But after two weeks she started to recover. When she woke up she slowly discovered that her life would never be the same again - she had lost her sight.

Link to Video
http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/witness/2011/05/201151271933214429.html

Al Jazeera: Turkey doubles down on Gaza development

2011-10-27T10:01:00.000-04:00

Since the Israeli army's attack on the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara in 2010, Ankara has become increasingly outspoken in support of Gaza, the blockaded Palestinian territory the ship was trying to reach.

The support has come in financial terms as well: the estimated $2m per year the Turkish government donated to Gaza before the flotilla attack, has now jumped to $48m.

Al Jazeera's Nicole Johnston reports from Gaza.

Full Article
http://english.aljazeera.net/video/middleeast/2011/10/2011102711515395161.html

Robert Naiman: Shalit Is Free. Lift the Siege of Gaza Now

2011-10-26T13:38:00.002-04:00

In the world of principle and international law, the ongoing Israeli blockade of Gaza -- which until now blocks Gazans from traveling to the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and blocks Gazans from exporting, farming, fishing, and otherwise earning their living -- is a clear violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which bars the use of "collective punishment" against a civilian population living under occupation.

The International Committee of the Red Cross -- a key guardian of the Fourth Geneva Convention -- has stated this clearly. As Voice of America reported:

The International Committee of the Red Cross says Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip breaks international law. The humanitarian agency said Monday that the blockade violates the Geneva Convention, which bans 'collective punishment' of a civilian population.

Robert Naiman is Policy Director at Just Foreign Policy.

Full Article
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-naiman/gaza-blockade_b_1032718.html?ref=tw

IRIN: New projects to ease Gaza housing crisis

2011-10-25T09:56:00.000-04:00

In response to a growing housing crisis in the Gaza Strip in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), several new building projects have been initiated by the Hamas-led government, and thousands of families have begun purchasing properties in new communities, officials say.

In Khan Younis, a project is under way on a 517,000 square-metre site which will include apartment and office buildings, schools, clinics, mosques and a commercial centre.

Housing ministry official Nagi Sarhan says the site, which will include 98 residential plots, will be able to accommodate just over 30,000 people. Public facilities and infrastructure - water, sanitation and electricity networks - will be built by the municipality.

Full Article
http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportid=94063

Al Mezan: The State of General Education in the Gaza Strip at the Beginning of the New Academic Year

2011-10-25T09:00:00.000-04:00

This factsheet reviews the state of general education1 in the Gaza Strip, which has deteriorated due to the Palestinian internal split and the four-year Israeli-imposed closure. As a result, there are several obstacles to fulfillment of the right to education in Gaza. This factsheet aims to review the current state of general education and the main barriers that hinder its full realization. It also seeks to clarify responsibilities and requirements needed to ensure the protection, respect, and promotion of the right to education.

Full Report - 6 pages
http://www.mezan.org/upload/12791.pdf

Raji Sourani & Eyad Sarraj / Al Jazeera: Despite swap, Gaza remains imprisoned

2011-10-24T11:25:00.001-04:00

The prisoner exchange agreement concluded between Israel and Hamas has brought relief to thousands of families eager to see their loved ones return home. In the midst of Israel's prolonged belligerent occupation, we are witnessing a rare moment of unified Israeli and Palestinian celebration. However, this event, and the resultant media fanfare, must not distract attention from the underlying tragic reality.

The real issues demanding attention centre upon Israel's 63-year belligerent occupation, and the routine violations of international law perpetrated by the occupation forces. The most glaring example of this is the absolute closure imposed by Israel on the Gaza Strip.

Raji Sourani is Director of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, based in Gaza.

Eyad Sarraj is a Palestinian psychiatrist, and founder and medical director of the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme (GCMHP).

Full Article
http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/10/20111021103340280648.html

Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967

2011-10-23T15:51:00.001-04:00

The present report, submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 5/1, gives particular attention to the right of Palestinians to self-determination, the situation of Palestinian prisoners detained by Israel, Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and their properties, the especially vulnerable situation of children in the occupied Palestinian territories, and the impact of the blockade by Israel on Gaza.

Full Report - 19 Pages
http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/pdf1AF3.tmp_.pdf

Leila al-Najar & Ishraq Othman / Mondoweiss: Struggling for water in Gaza

2011-10-22T13:28:00.000-04:00

The Beach camp “Al-shate" is located to the west of Gaza City. Small houses are crowded together with an unbearable smell springing from the wastewater running through the alleys. As volunteers in Youth for the Right of Water and Sanitation project (YRWS) we occasionally visit homes there randomly for our case study on water problems. Residents suffer enormously from serious water problems caused by the Israeli occupation which for years has undertaken exploiting and withdrawing all our pure water resources; groundwater, the Jordan River, the Gaza valley and Lake Tiberius.

Full Article
http://mondoweiss.net/2011/10/struggling-for-water-in-gaza.html

Rami Almeghari: A day of joy in Gaza

2011-10-20T12:59:00.000-04:00

The sense of joy was palpable in the streets of Gaza on Tuesday. It was a remarkable day in the life of the territory’s 1.6 million Palestinians. During the last five years Israel has levied a heavy price from them for the capture of an Israeli soldier by Palestinian resistance fighters. It has been extracted with Israel’s warplanes, tanks, bulldozers and relentless siege.

Rami Almeghari is a journalist and university lecturer based in the Gaza Strip.

Full Article
http://electronicintifada.net/content/day-joy-gaza/10506

Al Jazeera: Many freed Palestinian prisoners traumatised

2011-10-20T10:51:00.001-04:00

Hamas authorities have organised welcoming tents for every former Palestinian detainees released in the prisoner swap with Israel.

But the traumatisation of many released men, who have spent a large part of their lives in prisons, has cast a shadow on the celebrations of their release.

Representatives from Gaza's mental health programme say that studies have found that more than 90 per cent of Palestinian prisoners suffer from physical and psychological torture in Israeli prisons.

Al Jazeera's Nicole Johnston reports from Gaza.

Full Article
http://english.aljazeera.net/video/middleeast/2011/10/2011102035515679732.html

Palestinian prisoners 'mulled exile in 2006'
http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/features/2011/10/20111019204726722329.html

OCHA: The Monthly Humanitarian Monitor -- September 2011

2011-10-19T13:13:00.001-04:00

Events in September highlighted factors contributing to vulnerability of lives and livelihoods of Palestinians in the oPt. One Palestinian was killed and 68 others injured in settler violence and nearly 2,500 trees were vandalized. Livelihoods of hundreds of Palestinian families were undermined when Israeli authorities demolished six water wells in the northern WB. UNRWA faces severe funding deficit in Gaza, more than two-thirds of Gaza’s population affected. Three Palestinian EJ kindergartens face Israeli military raids, closure, or demolitions.

Full Report - 14 pages
http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_the_humanitarian_monitor_2011_10_19_english.pdf

Olive Harvest Fact Sheet - October 2011
http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_oliveharvest_FactSheet_October_2011_english.pdf

The American Conservative: Norman Finkelstein v. John Mearsheimer Debate

2011-10-19T11:49:00.000-04:00

Shortly before Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas arrived in New York to seek United Nations recognition of a Palestinian state, TAC’s Scott McConnell sat down with Norman Finkelstein and John Mearsheimer to discuss the deeper currents shaping the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Since then, President Obama has given a speech shocking in its deference to Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel’s right-wing coalition, and there is no immediate prospect for renewed Israeli-Palestinian negotiations—the “peace process” begun with discussions in Oslo, Norway in 1991. Israel has announced fresh plans to move settlers into Palestinian areas of Jerusalem it conquered in 1967.

As daunting as the prospects for peace may be, Israel no longer enjoys immunity from criticism within the American media and academy—thanks in large part to the work of scholars like Mearsheimer and Finkelstein, who have forced a debate among foreign-policy thinkers and the American left over the price Americans, Israelis, and Palestinians all pay for Tel Aviv’s policies.

Full Article
http://www.theamericanconservative.com/blog/greater-israel-or-peace/

Larbi Sadiki / Al Jazeera: Hamas and Israel -- Captives of war and peace

2011-10-19T10:45:00.000-04:00

Much contemporary thinking on the recent Israel-Hamas prisoner swap is riddled with mistaken attempts to discern who the winners and losers are.

The prisoner swap is a test. It tests not just endurance in the pursuit of immutable goals. More importantly, the swap also tests whether Hamas and Israel could directly negotiate for peace.

But first, a word must be said about peace in the age of Arab revolution.

Larbi Sadiki is a Senior Lecturer in Middle East Politics at the University of Exeter.

Full Article
http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/10/2011101981330670355.html

Al Jazeera: Gaza Live Blog of the Prisoner Swap
http://blogs.aljazeera.net/liveblog/Gaza

OCHA: Humanitarian Situation in the Gaza Strip - October 2011

2011-10-19T09:46:00.000-04:00

The Gaza blockade (through the land, air and sea) is a denial of basic human rights in contravention of international law and amounts to collective punishment. It severely restricts imports and exports, as well as the movement of people in and out of Gaza, and access to agricultural land and fishing waters. Gazans are unable to provide for their families and the quality of infrastructure and vital services has deteriorated.

Despite measures taken to ease the blockade in June 2010 the humanitarian situation has remained extremely fragile.

Full Report - 2 pages
http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Full%20Report_294.pdf

Human Rights Watch: Israel -- Follow Prisoner Exchange by Ending Blockade

2011-10-19T09:00:00.000-04:00

Israel and Hamas should follow the announced prisoner exchange with measures to improve human rights, Human Rights Watch said today. Israel should end its punitive closure of Gaza, which Israeli leaders have said was partly to pressure Hamas to release captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, but which extends far beyond denying military shipments to Hamas. Hamas and Israel should also ensure that everyone in their custody is treated humanely.

“The prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas should mark the beginning of an era in which all parties respect basic rights,” said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch.

Full Article
http://www.hrw.org/news/2011/10/18/israel-follow-prisoner-exchange-ending-blockade

Amnesty International: Prisoner swap casts harsh light on detention practices of all sides
http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/israel-hamas-prisoner-swap-casts-harsh-light-detention-practices-all-sides-2011-10-

World Bank: Coping with Conflict -- Poverty and Inclusion in the West Bank and Gaza

2011-10-18T18:01:00.000-04:00

A new report by the World Bank reveals a precarious economic situation in Gaza, where donor aid is keeping the economy afloat, unemployment is high, and a significant portion of the population lives very close to the poverty line.

“This study highlights the vulnerability of so many families,” said Mariam J. Sherman, World Bank Country Director. “This vulnerability is extremely relevant to understanding poverty in the West Bank and Gaza. Fluctuations in donor aid, employment – or both – can push many more Palestinians into poverty. “

For example, if household incomes decline 20 percent as they did in Gaza in 2007 – the proportion of households living in poverty in Gaza would increase from 33 percent to 49 percent.

Press Release http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/MENAEXT/WESTBANKGAZAEXTN/0,,contentMDK:23024464~menuPK:294370~pagePK:2865066~piPK:2865079~theSitePK:294365,00.html

Fact Sheet
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/MENAEXT/0,,contentMDK:23024584~pagePK:146736~piPK:146830~theSitePK:256299,00.html

Full Report - 6 chapters
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/MENAEXT/WESTBANKGAZAEXTN/0,,contentMDK:23024461~menuPK:294370~pagePK:2865066~piPK:2865079~theSitePK:294365,00.html

Washington Post: United States needs to reevaluate its assistance to Israel

2011-10-18T17:39:00.000-04:00

The formula has an obvious problem. Because some neighboring countries, such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt, are U.S. allies but also considered threats by Israel, arms provided to them automatically mean that better weapons must go to Israel. The result is a U.S.-generated arms race.

For example, the threat to both countries from Iran led the Saudis in 2010 to begin negotiations to purchase advanced F-15 fighters.

Full Article
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/united-states-needs-to-reevaluate-its-assistance-to-israel/2011/10/15/gIQAK5XksL_print.html

Al Jazeera: Hamas and Israel exchange prisoners

2011-10-18T12:00:00.002-04:00

The first phase of a prisoner swap deal between Hamas and Israel has now concluded, with over 400 Palestinian prisoners released by Israel in exchange for the handing over of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier who was captured by Hamas five years ago.

Shalit was handed over to Egyptian officials at the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, and was then taken by Israeli officials to the Tel Nof air base.

The release prompted the release of 477 Palestinian prisoners by Israel to Gaza and elsewhere.

In an interview with Egyptian television at Rafah, Shalit said that he hoped that the deal that allowed for his release on Tuesday would help Israelis and Palestinians achieve peace.

Full Article
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/10/20111017221258366393.html