Israel 'collectively punishing' Gaza: Amnesty

Israel 'collectively punishing' Gaza: Amnesty

news.yahoo.com

Amnesty International on Monday accused Israel of "collectively punishing" the population of Gaza with border closures tightened after the Islamist Hamas movement's bloody 2007 takeover.

The British-based rights group said the firing of rockets by Palestinian militants -- which the Israeli military says has dropped by about 90 percent since its offensive in Gaza last year -- did not justify the sanctions.

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Underground Egypt-Gaza tunnel dubbed 'wall of death'

Some important highlights from the article:

"The blockade does not target armed groups but rather punishes Gaza?s entire population by restricting the entry of food, medical supplies, educational equipment and building materials," said Malcolm Smart, the group's Middle East and North Africa director, in a statement.

"The blockade constitutes collective punishment under international law and must be lifted immediately."

Amnesty also included Egypt:

Amnesty said Egypt was partly to blame because it only occasionally opens its Rafah crossing with the Gaza Strip -- the only terminal bypassing Israel.

It also faulted Cairo for starting work on an underground border wall in a bid to halt the smuggling tunnels that have become an economic lifeline to the territory but are also used by Hamas to smuggle in weapons and money.

"However, as the occupying power, it is Israel that bears the foremost responsibility for ensuring the welfare of the inhabitants of Gaza," Amnesty said.

As usual Israel response

Responding to the report, Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev blamed Hamas.

"The Palestinians in Gaza are under the thumb of the brutal Hamas regime that places violent jihad against Israel above the well-being and the welfare of the people of Gaza," he said.

"Like its patron, the Iranian regime, Hamas has no qualms whatsoever in abusing Gaza's civilian population on the altar of its extremist agenda."

These reports from various Human Right Groups have become common imo. Unless the International community take practical steps against Apartheid Israel there is no scope for such reports.



news.yahoo.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

This is worse than terroism, yes an apartheid is very much worse than terroism.

And what would a nobel peace prize winner do about such an apartheid supporting state?

Here's your answer
www.ynetnews.com...

When I think about how the world would be better without religion, the first example that supports that thought is Israel!

They can't wipe their own behind without the american taxpayer buying the toilet paper and then they say Israel has the right to exist as an independant state.

Independant what? Where's in the independance.

They said Israel has the right to defend itself, but part of the two-state solution they proposed required Palestine to not be allowed to have any arms. So only israel has the right to defend themselves?

Why don't they just say what they are thinking.....
Israel has the right to take over the land promised to them by a maniacal god and is allowed to create an aparthied and oppress any region it so wishes.