Darkness Looms Over Gaza

Palestinian women shop in a market lit by a gas lamp.
Hatem Moussa / AP

TIM MCGIRK/JERUSALEM, Time, 26.10.07. The United Nations and other international bodies, however, joined Palestinians in denouncing the new measures as collective punishment of the residents of an enclave closed off by the Israeli military. Even before the latest crackdown, Gaza's residents have endured restrictions of travel and shortages of food and supplies imposed by the Israelis, backed by Western nations, after Hamas seized control of the area last June from the rival Fatah militia of President Mahmoud Abbas. The punitive blackouts are only one part of the new clampdown on Gaza. Food imports from Israel, the only source for Gaza residents, are also being scaled down from 120 trucks a day to 70, officials say. The legality of Israel's proposed power cuts is also contested. The U.N. and other international organizations, and even some Israeli human rights lawyers, point out that Israel still maintains the control of an occupying power over Gaza, which gives it responsibility for the welfare of its impoverished but defiant residents. Despite the legal questions, no court challenges have been mounted in Israel thus far.

Al Mezan Condemns the Escalation of Siege of Gaza and Collective Punishment by the IOF

Al Mezan, 17.10.07. Israel has continued to tighten its siege of the Gaza Strip and to employ Hamas' control over the Strip as a pretext to justify collective punishment and other crimes against civilians. This situation continues under full complicit silence from the part of the international community. Besieging Gaza has influenced all aspects of civilian life. More than 6,000 of those who entered Gaza before 9 June 2007 have been unable to leave, in a violation to their right to free movement. Restrictions on the movement of the population have been expanded impacting the enjoyment of many other basic rights. Students who joined, or in the process of joining, universities outside the Gaza Strip have been deprived from free access to education owing to the prolonged closure of the Rafah Crossing since early June 2007. Al Mezan calls the international community to uphold its legal and moral responsibilities towards the civilian population of the OPT, and to take effective steps to halt the violations of human rights in OPT. In particular, the international community is called upon to exert pressure on Israel to lift the unjustified siege of the OPT; and especially the Gaza Strip, and provide protection for civilians.

The full closure started just after the commencement of summer vacation, when hundreds of students came to the Gaza Strip to spend the holiday with their families. Moreover, the 2007 secondary school graduates who registered in universities outside the Gaza could not join to their universities.

The closure has separated thousands of families who came to the Gaza Strip to visit their relatives and/or apply for ID to their children. The closure of Rafah and Erez Crossings deprived those from joining their families. In addition, many are threatened loosing their residency and employment abroad; especially as many countries impose severe restrictions on the Palestinians' entry to their territory. Additionally, many schoolchildren are threatened by missing the school year where they are supposed to live.

The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) closed Rafah Crossing since 26 June 2006 allowing for limited numbers of Gazans to pass it in a sporadic way. Since 9 June 2007, which marks the start of clashes that ended with Hamas' control over Gaza, the IOF has imposed a complete closure of the Crossing. As an alternative, Israel allowed a few thousand Palestinians, who were then stranded in Egypt, to enter Gaza through Al Ouja Crossing via Erez. A few hundreds were also allowed to leave from the same route; however, on a highly sporadic way. This mechanism has been halted recently.

Al Mezan Center for Human Rights strongly condemns the escalation of the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip by the IOF. It reasserts that this siege represents a severe form of the collective punishment that recklessly violates the rules of the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and the principle of human rights.

The Center also condemns the silence of the international community and the absence of serious and affective action to halt the violations of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) and to provide the protection for the civilian population; which lies at the heart of the obligations of the international community under the provisions of the IHL and Human Rights Law. Al Mezan emphasizes that IOF bears responsibilities that extend beyond ensuring civilians' life and welfare to include ensuring the enjoyment of their basic rights, including the right to movement and access.

Al Mezan calls the international community to uphold its legal and moral responsibilities towards the civilian population of the OPT, and to take effective steps to halt the violations of human rights in OPT. In particular, the international community is called upon to exert pressure on Israel to lift the unjustified siege of the OPT; and especially the Gaza Strip, and provide protection for civilians.

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Une situation dramatique à Gaza

Ziad Medoukh ziadmedoukh@hotmail.com, 04/10/07. C'est difficile pour un Palestinien de Gaza qui a l'habitude de dénoncer les crimes de l'occupation contre son peuple, de décrire la situation actuelle dans la Bande de Gaza qui est devenue dramatique sur tous les niveaux avec des conséquences très graves sur toute la population. Malgré tous les critiques de l'ancienne autorité de Gaza, les manifestations n'ont jamais été interdites et la liberté d'expression a été assurée. La corruption au sein de l'autorité palestinienne n'autorise pas le Hamas à pratiquer le meurtre pour défendre son pouvoir et à prendre le contrôle de la bande de Gaza, -quelles que soient la corruption et l'anarchie pratiquées par l'appareil du Fatah au passé,- parce que la situation devient trop dangereuse pour être réglée d'une manière aussi insensée.

En général, les conditions de vie sont inhumaines à Gaza et le désespoir total règne à Gaza surtout chez les jeunes qui ont perdu la confiance en leur partis politiques et en l'avenir car ils pensent que ces partis politiques ont oublié la cause palestinienne pour réaliser leurs propres intérêts.

La seule perte à Gaza est la résistance, voire solidarité sociale et l'espoir

Une autre perte très importante, le recul de la cause palestinienne au niveau international, la solidarité internationale qui a participé à faire connaître notre cause partout dans le monde, les solidaires qui viennent pour manifester à Bilin, qui cueillent les olives dans les villages palestiniens nous sommes en train de les perdre à cause de l'égoïsme de nos responsables, on a besoin des décennies pour essayer de revenir cette solidarité presque perdue.

Les Palestiniens connus par leur détermination et leur force, sont devenus tellement déchirés. Ils sont devenus les victimes de leurs divisions devant l'absence et la complicité de la communauté internationale. Mais malgré toutes les difficultés, les mesures israéliens et la situation inter palestiniens, les Palestiniens n'abandonneront jamais leur lutte pour la Paix, car la Palestine est devant un grand projet pour la liberté et la paix.