Gazans using mud to survive Israel's ban on building materials

Gazans using mud to survive Israel's ban on building materials

www.miamiherald.com

RAFAH, Gaza Strip -- With Israel refusing to allow building materials across the border, the Hamas-led government in Gaza is pushing a new plan to replace thousands of homes destroyed by Israel's winter military offensive: mud-brick buildings.

It's been more than four months since Israeli soldiers left Gaza, but Israel is still blocking cement and other construction material

"My mother lived in a mud house for 40 years," he said. "Now we're living in mud, too."

(visit the link for the full news article)

How can they ban building materials in Gaza?
I did not know of this, didn't hear anything of it.

What could building materials do as a threat?
Or is this just simply a form of accepted oppression?

Ah disgusting man, totally repulsive ban.

Next thing they are going to ban water and privatize breathing-air

This is also an interesting article:
entertainment.timesonline.co.uk...

www.miamiherald.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 26-5-2009 by ModernAcademia]

Of course they dont want there to be buildings. Less for them to destroy with catepillars when they take the land.

reply to post by ModernAcademia


It is the largest open-air prison in the world. Not even Christopher Lambert could escape that Fortress.

What is sad is how the Palestinians are vilified for being poor, while the Israelies are celebrated for killing women and children in the Gaza Strip.

It is so lopsided I want to die. I hate this world.

It make me wonder if Israel is purposely causing these conditions for increased extremism......in order to push them to the breaking point.

Pushing Gaza to the point where it has no choice but to act....
and then condemning it and taking their land.

The saddest thing is that the US was mainly responsible for closing off the smugglers tunnels....I'm sure they carried and traded guns but they smuggled much more food, paper, and bags of concrete from these tunnels than any humanitarian aid (which is hardly allowed in) could bring.

The Gazans are one of the toughest and most unfortunate peoples on this globe.

The Gazans will stay their course and emerge victorious through the Zionist siege outside the walls of the world's largest prison... I pray that they will.

These people go through terrible suffering just because an stronger force wants to own and to live on some of the 'holiest' sites on Earth.

Palestians have steadily lost land since the 1967 war, and in a few decades The Palestinian state will be no more, having been squeezed out by Israel's moving walls.

Tear down this prison planet.

While the conditions of people in Gaza are awful - it is responsibility of their government to take care of the people and make their life better. I am 100 percent sure that despite all logical explanations (like construction materials used for bunkers/tunnels - which is true but not very important) the main reason for this ban is Israeli pressure on Gaza. The reason for pressure is actually very simple. Gaza is openly hostile to Israel, there is exchange of fire almost daily on the border and Gaza leadership not only does not recognize Israel, but on every ocassion promotes aggressive behaviour.
So ok, Israel are not angels. Israeli actions cause sufferings for Palestinians in Gaza. Well - Palestinian government in Gaza needs to stop this more then any other, i think. And in order to do so it needs to stop mortar/rocket fire (no it did not stop - just being drastically reduced) and release one Israeli soldier. Wow, it is not fair exchange for normal life to more then a million people.
And as for air/water irony - well guess who exactly supplies water/fuel/food to Gaza? Not elfs, gnomes or Egyptians. Evil Zionists. So if "brave" resistance would escalate - there is a chance of water problems too. Which is immoral. But just as immoral as any other side of conflict not suppliyng its enemies.

reply to post by ZeroKnowledge


Not of what you said is true.

Secondly, as far as aid is concerned, Israel stopped all aid going to gaza.
They stopped the Red Cross and assassinated doctors, as well as many other nations or individuals trying to offer assisstance in the form of medical aid or food.

Secondly, this is the same as Israel speaking ill of Iran.
They say Iran is a big threat, this is a complete lie.
Iran is harmless.

Same thing here, they are trying to portray hungry blockaded people who are resorting to eating grass as a threat.

reply to post by ModernAcademia


What exactly is not true?
Conditions in Gaza are great? Their government is not responsible for their well-being? Gaza is not hostile to Israel? Examples?

Bomb explodes near IDF patrol at Gaza border

22/5/9
www.haaretz.com...

Israel Defense Forces soldiers guarding the fence fired shots on spotting the militants, who were apparently trying to plant a bomb. The soldiers recovered the explosives along with two Kalashnikov-47 assault rifles and several grenades. It is still unclear which group the killed militants belong to.

21/5/9
www.esisc.org...

The Israeli Defence forces have said that Palestinian militants have launched on Sunday evening a Qassam rocket against a kibbutz between the Sedot HaNegev and Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Councils

www.esisc.org...
Wow. Peace and prosperity.
Why there no mud bricks in West bank?
By the way 1:- i was indeed wrong about water, vast majority is from Gaza itself. Still not enough so they buy some from Israel.
But fuel - comes from Israel.
By the way 2:
Hungry blockaded people can fire rockets. Or not be hungry and blockaded and not fire rockets.
By the way 3: Iran? I did not say anything about Iran.

[edit on 26-5-2009 by ZeroKnowledge]

And in Haiti, they're eating mud because they're so poor.

How about some priorities here? How about you highlight the injustice in Haiti, where the people did absolutely nothing to deserve to eat mud.

Whereas in Gaza, they democratically elected Hamas.

Well sanctions of all sorts againt Gaza has been done for ages now. The coastal blockage og Gaza stopped anything from going into the country, not only material that was of a threat to Israel. They have methodical broken down the country for a long time, which simply mean that the country is easier to controle, but I don't think their agende is to make the Palestinians "surrender" their land to Israel.. That would never happen

What is the Egyptian role in all of this?

Don't they share a border with Gaza?

Is it not possible for them to get their supplies in through the Egyptian Border?