OCTOBER 2007

Days of Terror and Great Loss in the Gaza Strip

  Beit Hanoun, northern Gaza Strip.  The electricity has just gone out leaving the whole village submerged in the oppressive heat but chilling darkness.  No one can escape, and the only things you can see are the ambulance’s flashing red lights and the flames of Israeli rockets from Israeli tanks’ indiscriminate shelling.  This latest IOF “attack on militants” will lead to nothing but another terrifying night for the people –the human beings!!—living here: the children, women, and the men. 

  Among these imprisoned and terrorized inhabitants are the students, and the infants who know nothing about life –not even about these regularized horrors in Gaza, much like the international community…There are also the newlywed couples, trying even in these disastrous times to continue with life, and the farmer whose aim is simply to cultivate his land to live off of.    After this night of IOF aggression, I am sure that this time it is the end…  

More Military Buildup, More Bloodshed   It was not the end.  It was the start of the next bloody night, where an even larger number of tanks and colossal military bulldozers have built up, lending to the inevitability of a larger scale incursion of attacks on the citizens of the Gaza Strip.  The Israeli military incursions targeted not only the north this time: three IOF invasions throughout the Strip have killed at least 13 Palestinians, in only the past 48 hours.  

Among those who were killed, seven were known to be members of The Army of Islam, a new small military resistance faction which are said to have shared responsibility for abducting the Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit.   The first of two air strikes hit near Beit Hanoun, where two Hamas members were killed and five civilians were injured. The second air strike was on a car in eastern Gaza City, in which five members from Army of Islam were killed.   In separate attack, The Israeli Army shelled a building in a northern Gaza City, where many people were seriously injured and killed.  In the past few days, in addition to the 13 Palestinians killed, tens more were injured, some critically so.  According to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights in Gaza, at least 14 houses were fully or partially demolished, and the Israeli army razed 258 Dunams of vital agricultural lands during this latest IOF invasion.   Meanwhile, different Palestinian resistance factions continue launching home made rockets towards Israel, despite Israel’s stated belief that strangling the citizens of Gaza of electricity and fuel, and closing the border crossings, in addition to the 16 month economic siege, will lead to the cessation of rocket fire.  

Gaza Mourns:
  Dr. Haidar Abdel Shafi, a Palestinian leader, physician and founder of the Palestine Red Crescent Society in Gaza, died at his home in Gaza City early last Tuesday in the age of 88.     Dr. Abdel Shafi was known as being a soft-spoken, gentlemanly figure in Palestine, but also a fiercely independent politician who often went against the Palestinian mainstream. He was among the first of his people to call for the acceptance of Israel alongside a Palestinian State. The Hamas movement considers him as “the most important political figure,” according to a statement from their movement.   Dr. Abdel Shafi has held different positions, from his earlier days as a member of the negotiating delegation at Madrid, to his position as chief Palestinian negotiator in talks with Israel in Washington until 1993.     The respect and esteem many Palestinians felt for Dr. Abdel Shafi was manifest at his funeral, with the participation of different political factions of all colors: Communists as well as Islamist political leaders stood present as he was covered by a Palestinian flag, his body then carried on the shoulders of the people to Al Omari mosque, one of Gaza’s oldest mosques.  He was then buried in Gaza City.

22nd September 2007

A car bombed by Israeli airplanes in Gaza Strip	Palestinian child carrying tank gas after their house is being demolsihed by Israeli Occupation Forces in Middle of Gaza Strip
Palestinian children are seen through a hole made by Israeli tank shell in Beit Lahya	Palestinian child carrying blankets and remains of their house after being demolsihed by Israeli Army
Relative of Emad Abu Ahjayer mourn during his funeral	Palestinians mourners carrying the body of Hamas member Imad Abu Ahjayer who was killed during an Israeli attack in Buriej Camp

Gaza: Hostile Territory, Israel Vows to Choke Electricity and Fuel Supplies  

  All over the Gaza Strip, months-long Israeli military attacks from every direction, from air, land, and sea, continued yet, even on Thursday.  The latest IOF (Israeli Occupation Forces) assault comes just one day after Israel declared all of the Gaza Strip, including residential areas for the 1.4 million civilians, "hostile territory."

The declaration opens the way for yet further restrictions on the supply of vital goods, like electricity and gasoline, which come through the Israeli controlled crossings.  Israel is already severely restricting movement across the Gaza crossings, allowing only the bare minimum of aid to enter, excluding vital building materials.   Israel has stated that its intention in cutting off vital supplies is to hold Hamas "responsible and accountable" for any further launching of Qassam rockets from Gaza resistance factions. But the reality for impoverished and starved Gazan civilians is that the act is none other than a collective punishment and gross violation of international human rights obligations, to which Israel is party.   

This is a perspective which was echoed by the European Union, European Commission, and the Secretary General of the UN, Ban Ki Moon, Thursday, in their call on Israel to reconsider its vow and to not commit further appalling violations of Gazans’ human rights.   The Hamas perspective differs from that of Gazan civilians: Sami Abu Zuhri, Hamas spokesman in Gaza, cites the Israeli decision as “a declaration of war against the Palestinian people, an attempt to target resistance forces and to undermine Hamas politically.”   The Israeli cabinet statement said: “additional sanctions will be placed on the Hamas regime in order to restrict the passage of various goods to the Gaza Strip and reduce the supply of fuel and electricity,” as well as further restricting the movement of people in and out of Gaza.  Abu Zuhri also pointed out that Israel as an occupier must supply humanitarian needs, and that such a decision to further cut off civilians’ basic needs shows that Israel is not ready for political compromise with the Palestinians.  

Worth noting, Israel declared its intent some hours after Gaza-based Prime Minister Ismail Hanyeh met with Islamic Jihad leaders asking them to stop firing rockets in order to broker a ceasefire with Israel.  Given the onslaught of IOF attacks and now this latest declaration by Israel, many Palestinians believe that such step is not being honored by the Israeli government.   Abbas, normally in opposition to the democratically-elected Hamas government, has condemned Israel’s decision.  Yet, the decision has been already been put into motion, with Israel imposing further restrictions on Gazans.  Particularly affected are people who scheduled to leave Gaza for medicine urgent operations in Israeli hospitals, with financial aid from the Palestinian Ministry of Health.  

The restrictions on exiting Gaza apply even to the thousands of students enrolled to study abroad.  Despite having attained clearance to leave, at least 600 still wait to be allowed to leave the Strip and begin their studies.   While attention remains focused on Israel’s declaration and decision to increase tension and hardship in Gaza, IOF attacks continue throughout the Strip, killing four on Thursday, and injuring many more.

 A 17 year old boy was driven over and crushed by an IOF military bulldozer near central Gaza’s Al Buriej refugee camp.  Another of the deceased was a Hamas member, shot and killed during fighting with the invading IOF.  The other two camp residents were killed by military fire during the IOF invasion.  Many others were injured as an estimated 30 tanks and bulldozers ravaged the area, firing shells and live ammunition indiscriminately, destroying many acres of agriculture land in the process.  

As of Thursday evening, the Israel forces’ attack was still under way.   Adding to the devastation and chaos, unknown militants attacked Al Watan Press Office, breaking down the door.  The director of the office, journalist Imad Al Ifranji, considers this as a way to shut down the freedom of press.
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