Gaza, Stripped (but not of Dignity, nor Jordanian Solidarity)

Gaza, Stripped The Israeli blockade of Gaza is a harsh reminder that we need to stand up for Palestine Ahmed Mahmoud Published on November 17 2008 “The idea is to put the Palestinians on a diet, but not to make them die of hunger,” said Dov Weisglass, Ariel Sharon’s closest advisor. After 41 years of military occupation, Israel is slowly choking Gaza, a desolate remnant of the former Mandate of Palestine. It is bringing a civilian population to the brink of starvation, a planned humanitarian catastrophe. - - The United Nations, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and several Nobel laureates and peace activists warned of a looming humanitarian crisis if Israel does not lift its blockade as soon as possible. Former president Jimmy Carter said that the blockade amounts to the collective punishment of 1.4 million people and is, by any moral standard, a crime against humanity and “a heinous atrocity.” On Tuesday, a group of European lawmakers said they would petition the European Union to suspend a preferential trade agreement with Israel due to what they described as a “cruel” blockade of Gaza. “Cruel” is an understatement. The Gaza milieu is miserable, far worse than most of us can imagine: Gazans have one of the lowest standards of living in the world, under an occupation which Bishop Desmond Tutu described as being “worse that the Apartheid.” http://www.thevarsity.ca/article/5937 POMP: Collective Punishment on Gaza Illegitimate NEW YORK, November 18, 2008 (WAFA)- Feda Abdelhady-Nasser, Counselor of the Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine to the United Nations (POMP) in New York, said that, “Israel, the occupying Power, continues to escalate its military campaign in the Palestinian Territory, particularly in the besieged Gaza Strip, is a violation of the Egyptian-brokered ceasefire that has held since June 2008.” http://english.wafa.ps/?action=detail&id=12334 URGENT: Kidnapped by the Israeli Navy FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Fifteen Palestinian fishermen along with three internationals have been kidnapped in Palestinian waters by the Israeli Navy. They were fishing seven miles off the coast of Deir Al Balah, clearly in Gaza fishing waters and well within the fishing limit detailed in the Oslo Accords of 1994. The fishermen and the human right's observers were transferred from 3 separate boats to the Israeli warships. http://tinyurl.com/5mbbk6 Jordan's activists plan to break Gaza blockade

www.chinaview.cn

AMMAN, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Jordan's activists planned to break Gaza besiege by transporting humanitarian aid to residents there, local daily the Jordan Times reported on Monday.

Preparations are under way to dispatch a convoy of ships to Gaza Strip to break the Israeli blockade and provide food and medical supplies to Gaza residents, said Zaki Bani Rsheid, Secretary General with the Islamic Action Front (IAF), the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-11/17/content_10372020.htm

Free Gaza to Aid Agencies: "Deliver It by Sea?"

November 18, 2008 Free Gaza to Aid Agencies: "Deliver it by Sea!" CONTACT: Greta Berlin, France +33 49 34 24 309 Angela Godfrey-Goldstein, Jerusalem +972 547 366 393 Osama Qashoo, U.K. +44 78 33 38 16 60 Paul Larudee, U.S. +1 510 236 5338 The Free Gaza Movement today issued this open...

http://www.creative-i.info/?p=2256

Oxfam slams British foreign secretary and UK government for neglecting Gaza

Bethlehem – Ma’an – In a damning statement released Tuesday morning Oxfam’s Great Britain Chief Executive Barbara Stocking slammed British Foreign Secretary David Miliband for neglecting to mention Gaza on his recent trip to Israel and Palestine.

“Only the bare minimum of goods have entered Gaza in the past couple of days and Oxfam fears a serious worsening once again of the humanitarian situation if urgent action is not taken,” Stocking said in a statement.
“David Miliband and the UK government must not continue to remain silent in the face of such human desperation,” the statement continued.

Stocking’s letter outlined the worsening situation in Gaza and said British complacency was not acceptable and urged British leaders to “to put more emphasis on resolving the crisis as a matter of urgency.”

http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=33319

WAFA: 4019 Israeli Violations in October in Palestinian Territory

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GAZA, November 17, 2008 (WAFA)- 4019 Israeli Violations were recorded by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in October 2008, according to Palestine News and Information Agency, WAFA.

In its monthly report, WAFA stated that IOF killed 4 citizens, and wounded 61 others in 116 military operations.

In the same period IOF attacked 729 places in the Palestinian cities and arrested 276 citizens.

The report recorded 73 attacks conducted by Jewish colonizers against Palestinians. http://english.wafa.ps/?action=detail&id=12320

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Action4Palestine/