After a months-long Israeli blockade of Gaza (tightened last Thursday to a full-scale lockdown, with Israel halting all fuel shipments and even the entry of humanitarian aid), militants have exploded holes in the border fence with Egypt. Two-thirds of the border fence (the BBC photo on the right) has been destroyed.Thousands of Palestinians are crossing through the breach to stock up on rice, sugar, milk, wheat, petrol and cigarettes.
AP reports that police from Hamas are directing traffic. So far, Egyptian border guards are taking no action.
Under the border closure, medical treatment of Palestinians has suffered:
Medication has been in short supply. Hospitals are paralysed by power failures and the shortage of fuel for generators. Essential hospital equipment is breaking down, with limited possibility of repair or maintenance as spare parts are not available. The permit regime for medical referrals has become more stringent. Many have had their treatment delayed or denied, worsening their medical conditions and causing preventable deaths. Concrete is in such short supply that people are unable to make graves for their dead. Hospitals are handing out sheets as funeral shrouds.
There has never been a more urgent need for the international community to act to restore normality in Gaza. Hungry, unhealthy, angry communities do not make good partners for peace.
2 comments:
I don't know where you get your information from, but humanitarian aid was not halted and Israel continued to provide 75% of electricity from the plant in Ashkelon which was being fired upon by terrorists in Gaza! However, in one of those trucks carrying flour, fertilizer was discovered hidden. This is a main component for making bombs!
The Israeli tactic is to allow only a drip-feed of basic humanitarian aid to keep Gaza in a perpetual state of economic crisis. People under collective punishment for the action of militants won't rush to make peace with the state of Israel, so it seems self-defeating.
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