Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Stuck on repeat

Regular readers of this blog may be thinking to themselves - "Why on earth is she going on and on about Gaza? When is she going to get back to her regular posts about home and writing and everyday life?"

The answer - dear reader - is that I don't know. I have been concerned about the situation of ordinary Palestinians in Gaza for a long time. I am aware that there is violence coming from both sides - from Hamas as well as the Israelis. And I don't support violence of any kind.

But I also know that Israel is in breach of international law in occupying Palestinian territories, and has repeatedly ignored resolutions from the United Nations. They have built a security wall which means that the people of Gaza are under siege, and are dependent on the Israeli security forces to let them in and out. Since June, only a trickle of humanitarian aid from the United Nations has been allowed in, which means Gazans have been drastically short of food, fuel and medical supplies. Over 90% of them are dependent on this aid because their economy has been strangled - largely because of the wall.

The world wanted Palestine to have democratic elections. When they elected Hamas with a huge majority, the world refused to negotiate with Hamas.

The world says they want the Palestinians to build up their police and public institutions so they are more stable and now the world watches while the Israelis bomb those public institutions.

Will the world stand by and let the Israelis pound Gaza into nothingness?

A representative of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency said yesterday that the hospitals in Gaza are so overwhelmed with casualties that only victims on the brink of death will be treated. If you have only had your arm blown off, he said, you are sent away from the hospital.

If you want an insider's view, you can read the blog here of a doctor who usually lives and works in Gaza.

If you would like to send aid - with no agenda of violence - please donate to Medical Aid for Palestinians, a British, non-governmental charity - follow this link.

1 comment:

Sue Hepworth said...

Thank you, Syed Najib Syed Bahari, for your good wishes. I am sorry your comment has not appeared, due to a technical fault with Blogger.