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Samera Baalusha (34) and two children at the funeral for five of her other children, killed in a Dec. 29 missile strike. © Amir Farshad Ebrahimi (flickr)Israeli airstrikes on targets in the Gaza strip have killed hundreds, including many civilians, and wounded many more. The military offensive has forced almost all of the territory's population -- most of whom already required food aid -- to remain inside their homes, where they faced a shortage of cooking gas due to months of Israeli restrictions on goods entering the region. The airstrikes destroyed key Palestinian infrastructure, depriving many of water and electricity. Israeli soldiers marched into Gaza Saturday night backed by helicopter gunships and tanks.

Foreign journalists have been banned from the region, and the attacks have limited the movements of many humanitarian aid groups, though some are managing to send reports and provide a measure of help to those in need.

» Background on Palestinian Issues

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Reports from Gaza

The reports below provide an overview of what was experienced by people inside Gaza during and immediately after the Israeli attacks of Dec. 27, 2008 - Jan. 18, 2009. For ongoing news coverage from the region see OneWorld.net's Full Coverage pages for Palestine and Israel. Groups providing humanitarian and reconstruction relief in Gaza are listed in the right column of this page.

Amid Rubble, Schools Restart

Young people regain some sense of normalcy as schools re-open during ceasefire

From: Islamic Relief Worldwide via AlertNet

Editor's Note: Hatem Shurrab is an aid worker in Gaza with the British-based charity Islamic Relief Worldwide. In a daily diary for the BBC, which is also being posted on the humanitarian aid Web site AlertNet, he is sharing first-hand accounts of the situation on the ground in Gaza and Islamic Relief's humanitarian efforts.

(Jan. 26) Amid the rubble and destroyed buildings people are trying their best to return to normal life -- if there ever was such a thing in Gaza. Part of that process is the children going back to school. Some of the schools have reopened and the pupils are eager to return.

The children of Gaza are mentally strong, they have to be. But at the end of the day they are still children and how strong can they be? Their psychological state is very delicate, and the opening of the schools is very important.

I spoke to seven-year-old Mariam, from Tal El Hawa. Like other children she remembers the day the first bombs dropped and is now happy to be back in her classroom. "I remember I was in an Arabic exam when I heard the bombs. I was too afraid until my dad came and took me back home. On the way I also heard very loud explosions," she said. "Now it is calm. I am so happy that I am back at school. Today at school I chatted with my friends and classmates while we were sitting on the steps. Each of us had a story during what happened. Three of them had their homes totally destroyed. Our teacher also asked us about what happened with us. I told her about what happened."...

I also spoke to Mohammed Sisalim, a 20-year-old engineering student. "Today is the first day I am going to my university. On the way I saw a lot of destruction. I couldn't believe it. It is too much," he told me. "At the university, I saw the broken glass and the most costly building at the university was destroyed. The lecture halls are not destroyed, but the desks and the floor is full of rubble."

Despite the limited access to education in Gaza it is still something that families take seriously, and even in the rubble, the lessons will go on....

Islamic Relief will be expanding its psychological support project in the next two months, focusing on school children and families. We are planning to spend another $3 million on this as well as the removal of demolition waste, house rehabilitation, and more food to hospitals as well as other projects. 

Islamic Relief Worldwide is an international relief and development organization with permanent locations in more than 35 countries. Islamic Relief strives to alleviate the poverty and suffering of the world's poorest people through a wide variety of projects, including education and training, water and sanitation, income generation, orphan support, health and nutrition, and emergency relief. Reuters AlertNet is a humanitarian news network that aims to keep relief professionals and the wider public up-to-date on humanitarian crises around the globe.

» Latest from Islamic Relief USA
» Latest Blogs from Gaza on the AlertNet site

 

'Gaza Is Changed Forever'

Ceasefire brings time for reflections as Gazans begin to dig out from under rubble

From: New Internationalist (NI)

Editor's note: Louisa Waugh posted this report. She is a regular NI contributor currently living in Palestine. Her weekly dispatch from the Gaza Strip focuses on the ups and downs of everyday life, whether in times of bombardment or ceasefire. More reports can be found in the right column of this page, under "The Gaza Blog."

(Jan. 19) When I called Hani, at around 11 o'clock this morning, he was driving through the ruins of Gaza city. "They have stopped bombing us -- but you would not believe what we have left -- the sight of our city," he says, sounding exhausted, relieved and depressed all at the same time. "It is just rubble everywhere, and there are bodies in the rubble." He tells me he's on his way back to northern Gaza, to see if his house in Beit Lahia is still standing.

The Israeli "ceasefire" started at 2 am this morning. Hamas has accepted the ceasefire, saying it is giving the Israeli military one week to completely withdraw from Gaza.  Apparently there have been clashes already between the Israeli military and Palestinian fighters in the northern Gaza Strip, but my friends and colleagues in Gaza city say the city is now "peaceful -- thank God."...

Israel has consistently claimed it has been targeting only Hamas and other "terrorists" inside Gaza, not civilians. But the Gazans I speak to are adamant most of the victims have been civilians, many of them shot, dismembered or buried alive whilst cowering inside their own houses. At least 260 children have been killed during this military operation -- like 14-year-old Issa Mohammed Abu Jarad, who was dismembered by an Israeli missile fired from an unpiloted drone while he was collecting firewood for his family early on Friday morning, 16 January in Rafah, southern Gaza.

Hours later, an Israeli helicopter fired a missile at the house of 37-year-old 'Eissa 'Abdul Hadi al-Batran, who lives in al-Boreij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. The missile struck the house full force, killing Eissa's thirty year old wife, Manal, and their five children -- Islam, Iman, Ihsan, Bilal, and three year old 'Izziddin.

One of the unforgettable characteristics of this Israeli military onslaught against Gaza has been the number of families who have been wiped out....

My friends tell me Gaza is changed forever, grief-stricken and ruined, and still there is no immediate prospect of the borders opening so people can be released from this jail.  

"We have lost everything," Mohammed, one of my friends in Jabaliya refugee camp, tells me over the phone. "My whole neighbourhood has been destroyed. But tell them, tell the world, we do not want food or money -- we just want our life back, and we want our freedom." 

The New Internationalist (NI) workers' co-operative exists to report on issues of world poverty and inequality. 

» Read the whole blog posting here
» Latest from The New Internationalist

 

Gaza Doctor's Grief Speaks Across Borders

Doctor's cries aired live on Israeli TV minutes after attack kills three daughters and neice

From: Arab American Institute

(Jan. 19) The Israeli media appears to have seized upon the tragedy of one Palestinian to put a face upon the suffering of the people of Gaza. Dr. Izz el-Deen Aboul Aish's home was shelled just minutes before he was scheduled to speak to Israeli television. Three of his daughters were killed outright: Bisan, Mayar and Aya. "Abu al-Aish said he hoped his three daughters would be the last victims of the fighting in Gaza, and that their deaths would help bring peace between Israel and the Palestinians," Haaretz reported.

Dr. Aboul Aish worked in a hospital in Israel and lived in Gaza. Since his wife's death from cancer, his girls were his life. He worked tirelessly to change Israeli perceptions of Palestinians, and called himself 'a bridge' between the two worlds. His heartbroken cries on Israeli television brought the consequences of the war home to the people of Israel.

(Jan. 16) 

The Arab American Institute represents the interests of Arab Americans in politics and the media and promotes the participation of Arab Americans in U.S. democratic institutions.

» More on Dr. Aboul Aish from the BBC
» Latest from Arab American Institute

 

'Unsure' About Ceasefire

Several young people in Gaza are not sure what to expect in the coming days, but they're beginning to rebuild

From: Mercy Corps

(Jan. 18) Editor's note: Youth involved in Mercy Corps' Gaza programs are sending these updates -- mostly via text message -- to Mercy Corps coordinators outside Gaza.

Ziad. © Mercy CorpsZiad: "It is quieter in the area where I have been staying for the past two days, yet we can feel that people are worried and anxious. I am very sad because Sheikh Radwan graveyard was bombarded and that is where my father is buried. I don't understand why they bombed the graveyard? What did the dead do?

"I support a cease fire. People are tired and the past few weeks were really tough, so it is the right decision.

"People who know me say that I am an optimistic person, but now it's not that I am not optimistic, it's just that I am not comfortable at all. We will have to wait and see how things go. After 23 days of war, I cannot foresee how things will be in the future, how our life will continue and such. I have many questions and I guess that in a few days these questions will be answered."

Fairouz: "The situation is much better. We are still staying with another family. We are worried about our home though. My parents went to our home today and found out that there is some minor damage. The telephone lines and cellular network are not working properly, so I could not reach my friends. Yesterday, I knew that a girl from my university died along with her mother and three sisters and the father was injured. It's so sad.

"After the ceasefire, I am optimistic. We hope this war ends really soon."

Hothayfa: "The doors and windows in our house are broken, and there are bullets in the walls. My father, brothers and I are cleaning up the house and trying to fix things because we cannot live in it without windows or doors.

"The question is: is Israel's operation over? We were not expecting the cease fire now, because we heard that the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) will be continuing its operation. The Palestinian groups agreed to a ceasefire, but the Israeli soldiers are still present in Gaza. The Israelis probably made up the ceasefire story in order to show the international community that they have the will to end their operation. I still cannot make up my mind. This week is a trial period. We hope it remains quiet."

Mercy Corps works in dozens of countries to alleviate suffering, poverty, and oppression by helping people build secure, productive and just communities. Since the 1980s, Mercy Corps has helped Palestinians build a more peaceful and hopeful future by connecting teenagers in Gaza to their peers in U.S. high schools, helping people with disabilities amplify their voice in society, and giving enterprising young women in the West Bank the opportunity to learn marketable new skills.

» Latest from Mercy Corps

 

Heavy Artillery Dropped in Crowded Areas

Weapons expert witnesses shells with widespread impact range dropped in center of crowded city

From: Human Rights Watch

(Jan. 16) Israel's use of heavy artillery in residential areas of Gaza City violates the prohibition under the laws of war against indiscriminate attacks and should be stopped immediately, Human Rights Watch said today. A Human Rights Watch researcher on the Israel-Gaza border on January 15, 2009, observed Israel's repeated use in the center of Gaza City of 155mm artillery shells, which inflict blast and fragmentation damage up to 300 meters away.

"Firing 155mm shells into the center of Gaza City, whatever the target, will likely cause horrific civilian casualties," said Marc Garlasco, senior military analyst at Human Rights Watch. "By using this weapon in such circumstances, Israel is committing indiscriminate attacks in violation of the laws of war."...

According to the Israeli government, on Jan. 3, the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) began broadcasting warnings that told people, among other things, that "For your own safety, you are required to leave your homes immediately and move to the city centers."  Despite these warnings, the IDF has launched attacks against the Gaza city center, causing civilian casualties.

"Israel warned civilians to go to city centers and later shelled the center of Gaza City with a weapon that should never be used in densely populated areas," Garlasco said....

Human Rights Watch is unable to conduct full investigations into alleged laws of war violations by either side because of Israel's continuing denial of access to Gaza.

Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups have also violated the laws of war by continuing to fire unguided Qassam and Grad rockets at population centers in Israel. A Human Rights Watch researcher on the Gazan border yesterday saw the firing of a Qassam rocket that hit outside Sderot, causing no injuries. Such rockets have killed three Israeli civilians and injured at least 78 since Dec. 27.

Human Rights Watch is a nonprofit organization based in New York. Its researchers around the world conduct rigorous, objective investigations to focus international attention where human rights are violated.

» Read the whole article here
» Latest from Human Rights Watch

 

Medical Aid Workers Face 'Non-Choice'

Medical personnel only allowed into Gaza through dangerous areas; surgical team remains on standby in Jerusalem

From: Médecins sans Frontières (MSF)

(Jan. 14) The shootings and bombings by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip do not allow for the arrival or departure of MSF teams, even if authorizations have been provided by Israeli authorities. The daily three-hour lull that Israel has announced is not being fully observed. And since the pause in fighting applies only to Gaza City, there is no possibility for humanitarian workers to safely use the Erez crossing point in the north of the Gaza Strip, the only area authorized by Israeli authorities for movements of staff.

MSF has not been granted permission to use the Kerem Shalom crossing point, which is used for moving supplies across the border. MSF denounces this blockage and the non-choice it faces: exposing MSF teams to danger without any possible alternative.

MSF demands that Israel authorize the entry of its emergency aid workers through alternative entry points into the Gaza Strip, such as Kerem Shalom. This is an indispensable condition for providing adequate assistance to the population of Gaza....

While hospital emergency departments in Gaza face a shortage of surgeons, a five-person MSF surgical team has been on stand-by in Jerusalem for one week. Shifa Hospital in Gaza City has requested and relied on the support of MSF staff and medical supplies for more than two weeks.

"We are in regular contact with hospitals in Gaza," said Cécile Barbou, MSF medical coordinator in the Gaza Strip. "Their emergency departments and intensive care units are overwhelmed by the inflow of sick and wounded patients, especially at night. Surgical departments are working around the clock. Sometimes two operations are performed simultaneously in the same operating room. Hospital staff are exhausted."...

The MSF clinic in Gaza City remains open but it is extremely dangerous for people to move about and few residents are able to reach medical facilities.

Part of MSF's Palestinian medical teams are supplied with emergency kits so they can treat patients at home in the neighborhoods where team members live. They have treated more than 270 people in the last two weeks. Medications and supplies have been distributed from MSF inventories to address shortages in Gazan health facilities.

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international humanitarian aid organization that provides emergency medical assistance to populations in danger in more than 70 countries. Since July 2007, MSF has been providing post-operative care and physiotherapy to hundreds of people wounded by fighting in the Gaza Strip. In March 2008 a pediatric clinic was opened in Gaza for children under 12. MSF has been working in Gaza and the West Bank since 1989.

» Latest from Médecins sans Frontières

 

Residents of Tel Al-Hawa Area Warned to Flee

District has tallest buildings in Gaza; as many as 40,000 may be taking shelter in local school

From: American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)

(Jan. 14) Israeli F-16s recently dropped papers asking all residents of Gaza’s Tel Al-Hawa area to leave their homes, warning that staying would be very risky.

AFSC’s coordinator for the Palestinian Youth Program, Amal Sabawi, a Tel Al-Hawa resident, has moved in with her brother, who lives in another area of the city.  The family has no land-line phone or electricity, reports Ibrahim Shatali, AFSC’s youth officer in Gaza.  Hana Mtair, an administrative assistant at the Gaza office, has also moved from the Tel Al-Hawa area.

The Tel Al-Hawa area, southwest of Gaza, has the tallest buildings in the city and is home to an estimated 25,000 to 40,000 of Gaza City's 400,000 residents. It's home to suspected Hamas members, the targets of the Israeli actions.

Those who had relatives in other areas of the city moved there; others moved to the UNRWA school.  The population at the school may exceed 40,000.

News reports from the area indicate intensive shelling near the Al-Mujtama'a college on the eastern side of Tel Al-Hawa.  The college is reported as being demolished, and observers say  residents are fleeing this residential neighborhood as well.  Many residents do not know which areas of the city are safe.

The American Friends Service Committee carries out service, development, social justice, and peace programs throughout the world. Its "Faces of Hope" program supports nonviolent resistance and refusal in Israel and Palestine.

» Latest from AFSC's "Faces of Hope" Program

 

Youth Reports: 'People Don't Laugh Anymore'

Text messages from Mercy Corps' youth correspondents inside Gaza describe a general sense of fear and despair, and hopes of a return to normal life soon

From: Mercy Corps

(Jan. 13) Youth involved in Mercy Corps' Gaza programs are feeling the effects of Israel's military action against Hamas. These updates come mostly via SMS from participants in our Global Youth Connectivity initiative, a program that links students from the Middle East with their peers in the U.S.

Hothayfa. © Mercy CorpsHothayfa: "There is no safe place in Gaza; we moved in with my grandparents thinking that their neighborhood is safer, but last night we were watching a movie on my laptop and all of a sudden an adjacent building was bombarded, luckily no one had a major injury because we were sitting right under the window, but the broken glass was all over and some of us had minor injuries, and we could probably sleep for an hour or so. This is an incident that I will never forget.

"There are many changes...buildings are destructed, people changed; all they talk about is the war, people don't laugh anymore, they are just scared, worried and they have no clue as to what might happen."

Nasser: "Last night there was a lot of bombing, but it is quieter during the day. All the trees in our garden were burnt yesterday. I just hope that nothing else happens. People in Gaza do not believe that there is democracy in the world because of all what is happening to us, everyone is wondering why isn't all this stopped if there is democracy. People are desperate; they do not care about anything anymore....

"We used to walk around in Gaza and notice all the nice places there, but now every 50 meters there are damaged buildings and houses. The Legislative Council used to be a beautiful building but now it's all black, many institutes and buildings are burnt."

(Jan. 12) Ziad: "We ran out of cooking gas so our neighbors make us coffee or tea. I heard that there is humanitarian aid but I did not see anything.

"The days are all the same, we are bored, there's continuous shelling and no where is safe."

Reem. © Mercy CorpsReem: "We had stored food and my father goes shopping for the basic things during the short cease fire, but still it's not very safe to go out during the cease fire. Moreover, we are running out of cash; there are no salaries and no money at the banks....No aid is coming in to Gaza from INGOs.

"The air is polluted; it's full of dust and gases, people are scared, our building is empty, there is no life, the city is empty and haunted if you will.

"We have never experienced such a thing, we are considering moving to another country if possible and just leave everything in Gaza. We cannot sleep and we do not know if we will wake up the next morning. But the thing is that at the moment it is very difficult to leave home and go somewhere else especially that everywhere in Gaza is not safe anymore."

Mercy Corps works in dozens of countries to alleviate suffering, poverty, and oppression by helping people build secure, productive and just communities. Since the 1980s, Mercy Corps has helped Palestinians build a more peaceful and hopeful future by connecting teenagers in Gaza to their peers in U.S. high schools, helping people with disabilities amplify their voice in society, and giving enterprising young women in the West Bank the opportunity to learn marketable new skills.

» Latest from Mercy Corps

 

Shortage of Basic Necessities Worse Than Threat of Death

While Israeli officials claim 'no lack of food or medicines in Gaza,' residents tell another story

From: New America Media (NAM)

Editor's Note: As civilians in Gaza increasingly face shortages of food and medicine, the threat of death from bombing is being overshadowed by the desperate need for basic necessities, reports NAM contributor Shane Bauer.

(Jan. 10)  Wafa Ulliyan says she is one of the lucky ones in her neighborhood. Crammed into her sister's house in Rafah where she and her family listen to a day and night chorus of shelling, she has food stocked up to help them wait out the Israeli siege on Gaza. The shops in her neighborhood don't have any flour, she says. With all banks closed, many who could normally afford food are unable to buy it, she says.

"The Israelis aren't targeting the resistance. They are targeting me and my children," Ulliyan said.

While the death toll nears 800, with 3,300 injured, many are saying the shortages of basic necessities is starting to become worse than the constant threat of violent death. The United Nations says 80 percent of people in Gaza are in urgent need of food aid. The humanitarian situation is compounded by the fact that some 75 percent of Gaza is without electricity and 70 percent is without running water, UN figures say....

Asked whether the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) considers the situation in Gaza a humanitarian crisis, IDF Major Peter Lerner said, "I don't want to get into the definition of a humanitarian crisis. There is no lack of food or medicine in Gaza."

In Gaza City, hospitals are still in dire need of supplies, physician Mousa al-Haddad said by telephone from there today. "Almost everything you can think of is not available," he said. Shells exploded in the background as he spoke. "We don't have gloves, bandages, or local antibiotic ointment and we are short on basic medicines and antibiotics. At the Al Shifa hospital, we've been tearing bed sheets to use as tourniquets. There have been three to four people on each bed because we don't have space."

"I have visited some of the UN schools where refugees are staying," he said. "The situation was appalling. Among 4,000 people, groups of 10 people slept with one blanket and they were completely dependent on UN aid."...

Even if more supplies are let through, the humanitarian crisis will persist, [Oxfam's Shaheen Chughtai] says. "Only those who are near the entry points would be able to access such supplies, leaving the majority of the population still struggling to survive in the face of a dearth of food, medicines, and other essential items."

New America Media is the United States' first and largest national collaboration and advocate of 2000 ethnic news organizations. NAM is dedicated to bringing the voices of the marginalized -- ethnic minorities, immigrants, young people, elderly -- into the national discourse.

 

Voices from Gaza: More Stories of Deprivation

Businessman, retiree, and aid worker describe their experiences

From: New America Media (NAM)

(Jan. 10) Editor's note: NAM editor Sandip Roy spoke with an aid worker and two residents of Gaza on Wednesday night (Jan. 7). Listen to his interviews with international relief agency Oxfam worker Michael Bailey in Jerusalem, business developer Haitham W. Abu Shabaan in Gaza City, and retired doctor Mousa al-Haddad in Gaza City.

New America Media is the United States' first and largest national collaboration and advocate of 2000 ethnic news organizations. NAM is dedicated to bringing the voices of the marginalized -- ethnic minorities, immigrants, young people, elderly -- into the national discourse.

 

Just the Second Time Outside in Two Weeks

Children's trauma is severe, will require medical intervention

From: Save the Children via AlertNet

Editor's note: Salwa El Tibi is a program manager for Save the Children in Gaza. She is posting her observations in a blog on the AlertNet Web site.

(Jan. 9) During these last 14 days I have left my house only twice. The first time was last Sunday when Save the Children started to distribute food parcels among the people in Gaza City, the beach camps and in the North area as well.

Salwa El Tibi © Save the ChildrenWhile driving I saw a lot of demolished houses and buildings, broken glass on the street. As a mother, it was hard for me to leave my children but I had to work because there is a severe shortage of food.

The situation here is really miserable and quite unbearable. Right now, I can see two helicopters in the sky but they haven't bombed yet, maybe they are looking for a targeted area, I don't know.

I live in Gaza City, in the North area, very close to Beit Lahiya and Jabaliya and in a three bedroom house. Since the 27th of December, we have been living in the middle of the house on the ground floor on mattresses -- for the safety of the children we live like this.

My youngest child is seven years old and when the bombing began she started wetting her bed. When she hears the bombs, she closes her eyes tightly and screams. When they bomb the area we feel like there is an earthquake.

Yesterday, when we had the truce from 1 pm to 4pm, I left the house to bring some food for my children and to go the office to complete our medical deliveries to the clinics and hospitals....

Three hours of truce is not enough for humanitarian work and for the people it is definitely not enough. For example, I wasn't able to find bread for my children. I went to four bakers and found hundreds of people waiting in line and it was 3:30pm, and there was not enough time to wait. I couldn't even find flour or sugar to try and make bread at home. I wanted to buy my children some chocolate too but failed there too because the supermarkets are nearly empty....

We have had no electricity for the past week. We have a shortage of water and no clean drinking water. I have a tank on top of my roof but without electricity we cannot pump the water to the house. It also gets very cold at night because there is no heat as well. I am complaining of many things -- but this is not a life.

I have a headache that will not go away. It's really very miserable and tiring because we are all living together in one small space, everyone screaming and crying constantly.

All the children are traumatised from the continued shelling and Israeli air strikes. I think there are clear signs of deterioration which means we will need psychological support and medical intervention to deal with the intense anxiety, lack of sleep, bed wetting, and high fever these children are suffering through.

Save the Children's emergency relief and long-term development efforts help children achieve a happy, healthy, and secure childhood; its work secures and protects children's rights to food, shelter, health care, education, and freedom from violence, abuse, and exploitation. Reuters AlertNet is a humanitarian news network that aims to keep relief professionals and the wider public up-to-date on humanitarian crises around the globe.

» More on Save the Children's Response Efforts in Gaza
» Latest Blogs from Gaza on the AlertNet site

 

A Walk Through Gaza City

Aid worker video shows bombed out buildings and nearby residences, Gazans waiting in line for supplies, hospital clearing out wounded to make room for incoming patients

From: Islamic Relief Worldwide via CAFOD

(Jan. 8) Editor's Note: Hatem Shurrab is an aid worker in Gaza with the British-based charity Islamic Relief Worldwide. In a daily diary for the BBC, which is also being posted on the Web site of the British aid group CAFOD, he is sharing first-hand accounts of the situation on the ground in Gaza and Islamic Relief's humanitarian efforts.

 

Islamic Relief Worldwide is an international relief and development organization with permanent locations in more than 35 countries. Islamic Relief strives to alleviate the poverty and suffering of the world's poorest people through a wide variety of projects, including education and training, water and sanitation, income generation, orphan support, health and nutrition, and emergency relief. CAFOD is the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development, the official overseas development and relief agency of the Catholic Church in England and Wales. It works with more than 500 partners both overseas and in the UK -- all working to reduce poverty.

» Latest from Islamic Relief USA
» Latest from Hatem Shurrab's Diary

 

3-Hour Ceasefires 'Inhumane, Insufficient'

Daily three-hour ceasefire has not made any noticable difference

From: InterAction

(Jan. 8) Despite the recent three-hour cease fires to allow the delivery of food and medical supplies to residents of the Palestinian territory, upwards of 750,000 people still lack access to food, clean water and medical help. U.S.-based international humanitarian aid organizations working in the region see this arrangement to allow sporadic delivery of aid as inhumane and insufficient.

Sam Worthington, President & CEO of the U.S.-based alliance of aid groups known as InterAction, says "The aid provided during the short cease fires is just a drop in the bucket when compared to need. Families still able to live in their homes are traumatized after 13 days of intense fighting and fear becoming moving targets in the battle if they leave their homes to seek supplies. Fleeing is unfortunately not an option for the civilian population."

Mercy Corps' team in Jerusalem reports that Israel's new daily three-hour ceasefire to allow aid into the Gaza Strip has not made any noticeable difference. "It hasn't changed our reality," says David Holdridge, Mercy Corps Regional Program Director for the Middle East. "We're still dealing with the same approval processes for aid, and only a limited number of trucks are going in each day -- not nearly enough to satisfy the pressing needs for food, shelter, medical supplies, and other items."...

To improve their ability to respond to the crisis in Gaza, U.S.-based aid groups are suggesting the following actions.

• Unimpeded access for humanitarian agency staff – both local and expatriate.
• An Israeli protocol for supply shipments that processes approvals in one week.
• Re-supply of cash to banking institutions.
• Re-supply of benzene and diesel fuel.
• Safe passage for U.N. and NGO vehicles delivering supplies throughout the Gaza strip.

Aid groups are continuing their efforts to engage Bush administration officials, President-elect Obama’s team, and the new Congress on humanitarian needs in Gaza.

To read more about the efforts of individual humanitarian agencies working in Gaza and to view a regularly updated and comprehensive list of crisis responders, visit www.interaction.org/gaza.  

InterAction has also developed guidelines on the most appropriate ways to help those affected by overseas disasters: http://www.interaction.org/disaster/guide_giving.html.

InterAction is an alliance of more than 170 U.S.-based private relief, international development and refugee assistance organizations. InterAction members have agreed to abide by a set of standards to ensure accountability to donors, professional competence and quality of service.

» InterAction Members Responding to Gaza Crisis

 

Temporary Bombing Halt a 'Paltry Response'

Bombing has 'sown terror,' doctors can't reach wounded, many wounded can't reach hospitals, hospitals are 'beseiged' by patients anyway, says medical organization

From: Médecins sans Frontières

(Jan. 7) The international community must not be content with a limited truce, which MSF said is largely inadequate for providing lifesaving assistance.

As the Israeli military offensive continues, the toll -- estimated at 600 deaths and 2,950 wounded in just 11 days -- is reaching alarming proportions and is indicative of extreme violence indiscriminately affecting civilians.

"Today, 1.5 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip -- almost half of them children -- are the victims of incessant shooting and bombing," said Franck Joncret, MSF's head of mission. "How can anyone believe that such a steamroller attack would spare civilians, who are prevented from fleeing, and are crowded in a densely-populated enclave?"

The military offensive has sown terror within a trapped urban population. Residents no longer dare leave their homes to seek medical care. This insecurity also affects aid organizations. Palestinian humanitarian aid and health workers have been killed and hospitals and ambulances have been bombed.

Hospital emergency departments are besieged by wounded patients. In the last 10 days, medical staff at Al Shifa Hospital have performed more than 300 surgeries.

"The hospital's six operating rooms are operating at full capacity, with two operations underway simultaneously in each room," said Dr. Cécile Barbou, MSF medical coordinator in Gaza. "The Palestinian surgeons and the medical staff are exhausted, struggling to keep up with the number of wounded. Most of the emergency cases involve patients with serious wounds, who have suffered multiple traumas, primarily to the thorax, abdomen, and face."

The MSF teams in Gaza, composed of three international and nearly 70 Palestinian staff members, have been trying to support Palestinian medical facilities and treat the wounded since the offensive began. They have already distributed medical supplies and medications to several hospitals that were close to running out of material. Today, approximately 20 MSF staff are treating Gazans in their homes, visiting close to 40 people every day.

"The level of insecurity is so high that our ability to travel and provide medical aid is extremely limited," said Jessica Pourraz, MSF field coordinator in Gaza. "We need unfettered access so that we can reach the wounded around the clock, and civilians need to be able to reach treatment facilities."

At the request of doctors at Al Shifa Hospital, MSF is sending a surgical team (a surgeon, anesthetist, and a surgical nurse) and a mobile hospital that includes an operating room and an intensive treatment unit, which will increase the hospital's treatment capacity.  MSF hopes to obtain the necessary authorization allowing the team, as well as all necessary supplies, to enter the Gaza Strip.

Under these circumstances, and while entry into Gaza of personnel and material is still restricted, the temporary bombing halt may improve wounded patients' access to health care facilities, allow aid workers to move about, and enable the transport of supplies of lifesaving materiel (fuel, food, medical supplies, and medication).

"However, these partial measures, which are intended to soothe international opinion, have no effect on the direct and massive violence that the population is experiencing," says Dr. Marie-Pierre Allié, president of the French section of MSF.

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international humanitarian aid organization that provides emergency medical assistance to populations in danger in more than 70 countries. Since July 2007, MSF has been providing post-operative care and physiotherapy to hundreds of people wounded by fighting in the Gaza Strip. In March 2008 a pediatric clinic was opened in Gaza for children under 12. MSF has been working in Gaza and the West Bank since 1989.

» Latest from Médecins sans Frontières

 

Aid Group to Restart Deliveries, Despite Dangers

Worker visits makeshift refugee shelter at UN school in Gaza

From: Islamic Relief Worldwide

Editor's Note: Hatem Shurrab is an aid worker in Gaza with the British-based charity Islamic Relief Worldwide. In a daily diary for the BBC, he is sharing first-hand accounts of the situation on the ground in Gaza and Islamic Relief's humanitarian efforts.

(Jan. 6) I'm absolutely exhausted. Despite the bombing last night I managed to get some sleep - I don't know how - I think my body just had enough.

An Islamic Relief aid team went out and visited one of the UN schools that has been turned into a shelter for families displaced by the bombing....

The people I met told me that they had found themselves in the firing line and had no choice but to leave their homes.

I met a mother who was burning paper in order to boil water for her child. She was doing this because she had no milk -- maybe she could fool her hungry baby with the warm water?

I was surprised at the amount of women and children I saw in the school -- and worried too....

People are exhausted, traumatised, and they are surviving on a limited amount of food -- there simply isn't enough....

At Islamic Relief we have decided that we have no choice but to deliver food to people -- no matter what the dangers, and there are plenty of dangers in Gaza.

As aid workers we can not stand by and watch as people suffer -- they have nothing and we have to do something to help them.

There are around 500 people sheltering in the school and we are also preparing to provide people with hygiene kits, which contain simple things like soap, which are important in preventing the spread of disease.

Islamic Relief Worldwide is an international relief and development organization with permanent locations in more than 35 countries. Islamic Relief strives to alleviate the poverty and suffering of the world's poorest people through a wide variety of projects, including education and training, water and sanitation, income generation, orphan support, health and nutrition, and emergency relief.

» Latest from Islamic Relief USA
» Latest from Hatem Shurrab's Diary

 

Youths Report by Phone, SMS

Families pinned in their homes, until forced to flee; food and fuel are mounting concerns

From: Mercy Corps

(Jan. 6) Communicating with people in the Gaza Strip is increasingly difficult because of electricity shortages and network outages, but our Jerusalem-based program manager is keeping up with some of the youth through SMS and phone.

These updates come from participants in Mercy Corps' Global Youth Connectivity initiative, a program that links students from the Middle East with their peers in the United States through videoconferencing and an online discussion forum.

Derar. © Mercy CorpsDerar: "On the first day the attacks started, I was studying for my exams. My family and I had to leave our home and go to southern Gaza. But after the incursion, the situation became more difficult and much more terrifying. The sound of the shelling is louder, the tanks are closer....We don't have electricity and we don't have a lot of food. We have one meal a day in order to save food. I really want to use my experience as a journalism major to explain the situation to the rest of the world, but right now I want to help the injured." 

Reem: "The situation is getting worse everyday. The fighting is getting closer to our home and the sound of the bombing is getting louder. We cannot get out of our home at all. Thankfully, my family is safe and we have electricity sometimes because we have a generator. But we try not to use it that often because we are afraid we might not have fuel later on."

Nasser: "We were staying at my aunt's house when the bombing started. We couldn't sleep because it started at 11 p.m. and continued until 9 a.m. Now, we can't go out at all because the bombardment is so random. We are very tired of all of this. Every morning we pray to God that this war will end."

Fairouz. © Mercy CorpsFairouz: "Last night at 3:20 a.m. our neighbors informed us that buildings close to our home will be bombarded and that it wasn't safe for us to stay. We grabbed our ID cards, money and some bed covers and went to a nearby park where all the people were gathering. We had to call relatives and move in with them. The situation is really miserable. I was supposed to graduate and now we are left without electricity, water...not even a house."

Ziad: "My family is alright. We are tired physically and emotionally. We cannot go out of our home except for very short periods. We are cut off. But among family and friends, we are all helping each other. If one family makes bread, they share it with their neighbors. I really hope the war will end soon. I miss going to the university and walking around."

Mercy Corps works in dozens of countries to alleviate suffering, poverty, and oppression by helping people build secure, productive and just communities. Since the 1980s, Mercy Corps has helped Palestinians build a more peaceful and hopeful future by connecting teenagers in Gaza to their peers in U.S. high schools, helping people with disabilities amplify their voice in society, and giving enterprising young women in the West Bank the opportunity to learn marketable new skills.

» Latest from Mercy Corps

 

Trickle of Aid Allowed in to Gaza

Electricity, Wells, Flour Said to Be Key Unmet Needs

From: American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA) via Arab American Institute (AAI)

Editor's note: Salah Sakka, Gaza director for American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA), spoke from Gaza on a conference call for members of Congress organized by the Arab American Institute (AAI). 

(Jan. 5) The IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) has taken over the entire Gaza Strip. The Israeli ground forces have deployed around, as well as refugee camps. The Gaza Strip is divided, and moving within the Gaza Strip is very dangerous. Delivering humanitarian aid is very dangerous. There is no electricity or water. There are blackouts. Thousands of people have left their homes for safe shelter. There are approximately 5,500 being served by ANERA. An estimated 13,000 people have been displaced, and this number will rapidly increase.

There is a lack of fuel, power; water wells are not working, either [because of] damage [to] infrastructure or it is too dangerous for people to do maintenance of the ground. Hospitals are working 24 hours a day. There is very little amount of fuel remaining there. The electricity in the hospitals cannot provide power to all services in the hospital. With regards to food, food is still a problem. Distribution continues to be difficult.

I think with regard to the situation, it is extremely important to keep operating the water wells, and trying to meet, and also allowing for people to access their own water pumps. Without electricity, I don't have water; the ground tank cannot be operated because of the lack of electricity, and no fuel, also with the cold weather, no heat is a problem. It is important to provide flour to bakeries to provide food for the local population. There is no cash, which is a problem, and was one before the military operation....

The Israelis allowed cargo with limited quantities [of aid to enter Gaza], this information is correct. This is what we hear, that Israel decided to open crossings, the quantities that are allowed into Gaza, it is a very very small portion of what they actually need. It is only for two or one days sometimes....The distribution of aid is very very dangerous. The city of Gaza for instance is presided by military forces, and there are helicopters in the sky. It's very very unsafe for people to move or drive, or even go on the outside roads.

AAI is a nonprofit organization that represents the interests of Arab Americans to government officials and the media, and promotes the participation of Arab Americans in the U.S. electoral system. ANERA is a U.S.-based nonprofit organization that provides development, health, education, and employment programs to help improve the lives of Palestinians living throughout the Middle East.

» Read the whole interview

 

Paramedic Killed While Evacuating Injured

Second paramedic loses foot, ambulance destroyed

From: Oxfam International

(Jan. 4) A paramedic working for an Oxfam-funded organization was killed when an Israeli shell struck a civilian ambulance in Gaza today according to international agency Oxfam. The tragedy illustrates the deadly dangers faced by Palestinian civilians and aid workers, said the agency.

Another paramedic lost his foot and a driver was injured in the same incident, which occurred when an ambulance belonging to Oxfam’s partner organization, Union of Health Work Committees, was hit while trying to evacuate an injured person in the Beit Lahiya area, Oxfam said. The UN estimates over 100 civilians have been killed in Gaza over the past week although some other organizations believe the civilian death toll is significantly higher.

"The incident shows yet again that trying to fight a military campaign in the densely populated streets and alleys of the Gaza Strip will inevitably lead to civilian casualties. There are no safe areas and Gazans who want to flee the fighting have been prevented from leaving the Strip," said Oxfam Country Director John Prideaux-Brune in Jerusalem.

The Israeli ground offensive into Gaza, which began on Saturday following a week of heavy bombardment by land, sea and air, is preventing urgently needed supplies of medicine, food, water, and fuel from reaching one and a half million Palestinian women, men and children, Oxfam said.

Oxfam is an international humanitarian aid organization that works with partners in the occupied Palestinian territories to provide basic health services, water, and food assistance to the most vulnerable families. Oxfam also lobbies donor governments to resume aid to the Palestinian Authority to address the deteriorating humanitarian situation.

» Latest from Oxfam

 

Ground Offensive Brings New Fear, Unknowns for Aid Worker

From: Islamic Relief Worldwide

Editor's Note: Hatem Shurrab is an aid worker in Gaza with the British-based charity Islamic Relief Worldwide. In a daily diary for the BBC, he is sharing first-hand accounts of the situation on the ground in Gaza and Islamic Relief's humanitarian efforts.

(Jan. 3) As I finish writing this I am having to move to the basement of my house with seven members of my family, including a baby aged 7 months.

Loud explosions are going off all around and a colleague from the UK is writing down my words as I speak to her on the phone.

I am trying very hard to hide the fear in my voice but I don't think I'm doing a very good job.

The ground invasion has started and now nobody knows what will happen next.

My colleague is asking me if the rest of our team are safe -- I spoke to them one hour ago and as far as I know everyone is ok for now.

The colleagues who live in Jabaliya camp have moved out deeper into Gaza so that they can try and stay safe. Jabaliya is a very exposed place and its safer for people to move out of this area....

More than 50 children were killed during the last week. Schools are shut down and students are not going to their exams.

Tomorrow [Sunday] we had planned to deliver blankets and food parcels to three shelter locations which have been opened in schools for families who live in the border areas and who have been evacuated from their homes.

Now that the ground invasion has started...well, we simply have no idea if we will be able to leave our homes. It's going to be a very long night in Gaza.

Islamic Relief Worldwide is an international relief and development organization with permanent locations in more than 35 countries. Islamic Relief strives to alleviate the poverty and suffering of the world's poorest people through a wide variety of projects, including education and training, water and sanitation, income generation, orphan support, health and nutrition, and emergency relief.

» Latest from Islamic Relief USA
» Latest from Hatem Shurrab's Diary

 

Investigations Prove Use of Excessive Lethal Force

Majority of targets are civilian, says rights group 

From: Palestinian Centre for Human Rights

Editor's Note: The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) has been detailing each Israeli attack in Gaza, with lists of who has been killed or wounded in each incident, on its Web site.

(Jan. 2) Since the beginning of the ongoing offensive on the Gaza Strip, Israel has claimed that it does not target civilian facilities. However, PCHR's investigations refute these allegations, and prove that IOF (Israeli Occupation Forces), by explicit orders from their political and military leaders, have used excessive lethal force and that the majority of targets have been civilian and public facilities and private property that are located in the middle of overpopulated residential neighborhoods, endangering the lives and possessions of the civilian population.

Moreover, PCHR's investigations affirm that all the casualties that have been caused during the last hours of IOF successive and intensive raids have been civilians. Heavy damages have been incurred to houses in the surroundings of the directly targeted houses and facilities. Under the current siege, it is impossible to repair houses that have been destroyed or to which damages have been incurred. This means that hundreds of Palestinian families will be homeless under the current bitter cold weather.

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights works in the Gaza Strip as a monitor of violations by the Palestinian Authority and Israel, documenting and researching the human rights situation. It is a partner of Boston-based Grassroots International.

» Latest from the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights

 

Humanitarian Situation 'Worst Ever'

Most families running out of food

From: Mercy Corps

(Jan. 2) "Most people are running out of food," says David Holdridge, Mercy Corps' regional program director for the Middle East. "They cannot get to markets or bakeries because they fear for their safety, and those who can get out are often faced with bare shelves or prohibitively long lines."

Mercy Corps' program manager for the Gaza Strip, Isdud Najjar, calls the humanitarian situation "the worst I've ever seen." From her Gaza City home, which she and her family have not left since the violence started, Al Najjar reports a lack of electricity, food, and heat, and extreme anxiety caused by ongoing explosions.

"People are afraid to go out on the streets. This is particularly difficult for the poor and those who rely on outside food assistance -- up to 80 percent of the population," explains Al Najjar.

Mercy Corps works in dozens of countries to alleviate suffering, poverty, and oppression by helping people build secure, productive and just communities. Since the 1980s, Mercy Corps has helped Palestinians build a more peaceful and hopeful future by connecting teenagers in Gaza to their peers in U.S. high schools, helping people with disabilities amplify their voice in society, and giving enterprising young women in the West Bank the opportunity to learn marketable new skills.

» Latest from Mercy Corps

Meet the Families of Gaza

The kids of Gaza are passionate about sports, their Play Station, and music

From: Grassroots International

Editor's note: Safa Joudeh, a consulant working with Grassroots International, sent this report from Gaza.

(Jan. 2) It's interesting how, at the most terrifying and horrific of times, we still manage to make light of the events, and even enjoy a dark sense of humor....

My 10-year-old cousin was eating a sandwich, when one of my younger brothers, 12, looked at him and, quoted a line from one of his favorite video games. In his dead-on imitation of the character's voice, he said to his younger cousin, "Enjoy it, it could be your last!" I looked at him for a second and began laughing almost hysterically at his imitation and the absurdity of the situation.

On another occasion, we looked around for my 12-year-old and 14-year-old brothers during an intense bout of air strikes and realized that they had snuck back to the living room-the room directly in front of the area being bombed-and were watching a sports channel. "But we had to see the scores," they retorted after being severely reproached. They're becoming desensitized, I thought, just as I had been when I went through a similar kind of violence while living in Ramallah in 2002....

During the last few days, I've had a lot of time to contemplate the situation in Gaza. And I wonder how the rest of the world envisions the people who occupy one of the most despondent and unruly military zones in the world.

My younger brothers spend their free time out with their friends, or playing basketball and soccer at youth clubs. Like a lot of kids their ages, they are passionate about sports, their Play Station and music. They play the guitar and are exceptional students. I have a brother in college who is obsessed with computers and gadgets. An engineering student, he comes up with the most ingenious projects for his classes. He listens to music and plays the guitar and prays regularly. He's an honor student who has big goals and big dreams.

So please understand why I am infuriated when I see how we are portrayed on television as hordes of bearded, teeth-gnashing, stone-throwing, blood thirsty savages in rags and tatters. And please don't blame me for feeling rage against the state of Israel, which has been targeting the unwary, guiltless, promising children and youth of the Gaza Strip in its vicious attacks over the past 5 days....

A few hours ago, the home of one of Hamas' senior leaders, Nizar Rayan, was struck by 4 missiles. Not only was the entire building flattened, killing all who were in it, but several other buildings surrounding it looked like they were about ready to collapse. It is said that there were over 19 deaths, most of them women and children, and scores of injuries.

Grassroots International s a human rights and international development organization that supports community-led sustainable development projects in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

» Latest from Grassroots International

Killing Children in Gaza: Innocent Mistake or New Target?

From: Peace X Peace

Editor's note: This report was sent from Gaza by Eman Mohammed.

Eman Mohammed. © Peace X Peace(Jan. 2) Many here believe that the Israeli operation took an extreme direction when civilian families turned out to be no longer an exception but a main target for Israeli missiles.

Lama Hamdan (4) and her sister Haia (11) were playing when a raid left their small bodies lifeless lying on the sidewalk in front of their house.

The mother of the young Hamdan sisters kept screaming in horror, facing the painful scene of her two little daughters covered with blood silently, without a move. She expressed her grief with a loud cry, asking "What have they done? What fault did my girls commit?"

From northern to southern Gaza, another mother suffered the tragic loss of her three boys when an F16 warplane found them near their house in Rafah. The three brothers of the Al Abse family died immediately, before the ambulance could even arrive.

The Balosh, Hamdan, and Al Abse families all were mourning over their youngest members, and all three chose to bury the sisters and brothers in joint graves, in a sign showing that sisterhood or brotherhood relation can't be broken even by death itself.

Still the terrifying transformation of the Israeli military operation became a nightmare for every parent living in Gaza Strip, fearing for the lives of their own kids, knowing that they might be the next victims of the Israeli attacks.

Peace X Peace is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit group that connects women across cultures for friendship, support, and action for peace.

 

Gaza Rockets Cause Shock, Fear in Israel

From: Integrated Regional Information Networkds (IRIN)

(Jan. 2) The Israeli authorities estimate that over one million citizens are within missile range, including those in major cities such as Beer Sheba, Ashkelon, Ashdod, and several smaller towns and villages.

Israelis take cover during a rocket warning siren in the southern Israeli town of Ashkelon, Monday Dec. 29, 2008. © Amir Farshad Ebrahimi (flickr)A red alert system is in place. Residents in Ashdod have 45 seconds to reach shelter; in Ashkelon they have 30 seconds to do so, and in Sderot only 15 seconds.

Home front command has ordered all schools and public institutes within 40km of the Gaza border closed until further notice. Public shelters are being opened in every city, including some which had been closed for decades....

From Beer Sheba, Soroka Hospital spokesperson Inbar Darom-Gotter told IRIN on 1 January: "We've treated over 150 cases of shell shock in the last four days -- much more than physical injuries. The hospital is well prepared for upcoming emergencies and missile attacks."

Barzilai hospital in Ashkelon is now working in an emergency mode; all non-urgent operations have been suspended. In the four days up to 1 January, the hospital treated 116 people -- 74 shell shock cases, and 42 physical injuries.

» Read the whole story from IRIN

IRIN is part of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, but its services are editorially independent. Its principal role is to provide news and analysis about sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia for the humanitarian community, and its reports do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations and its agencies, nor its member states.

» Get the Latest News on the Gaza crisis from IRIN

 

Gaza Health Services on Brink of Collapse

From: Integrated Regional Information Networkds (IRIN)

(Dec. 31) In Gaza’s main hospital, the director’s office is under virtual siege, according to an IRIN journalist in Gaza. Relatives of the injured are desperate to get their kin transferred to Egypt for emergency treatment. There is a fear here that the already overstretched healthcare system will collapse if Israel mounts a ground offensive into the tiny coastal strip, home to 1.5 million Palestinians....

Khaled Abu-Najar, a staff nurse in Al-Shifa’s emergency room, said there were shortages of chest tubes, forceps, artery clamps, ventilators, and monitors.

Nearly half of the emergency room staff are volunteers recruited since 27 December, said Abu-Najar.

"We are short of rooms and supplies, we are up to our necks," said Ramez Zyara, one of nine general surgeons working 24-hour shifts at Al-Shifa. The small team treated hundreds of patients on 30 December for crush injuries and severe trauma.

"The buildings are falling on the heads of the patients," said Zyara.

» Read the whole story from IRIN

IRIN is part of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, but its services are editorially independent. Its principal role is to provide news and analysis about sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia for the humanitarian community, and its reports do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations and its agencies, nor its member states.

» Get the Latest News on the Gaza crisis from IRIN

 

Food, Fuel in Perilously Short Supply

Hospitals running out of supplies, beds

From: Oxfam International

(Dec. 31) "We have had to suspend an aid program helping at least 65,000 people. Our aid workers in Gaza are besieged, restricted to their homes and in fear of their and their families' lives. Nine months ago, aid agencies warned the crisis in Gaza was the worst it has ever been since the 1967 'six-day war.' Months of a tightening blockade and the latest disproportionate attacks make it much worse," said John Prideaux-Brune, Oxfam's Country Director in Jerusalem.

"Food and fuel are in perilously short supply. Eighty percent of the people in Gaza were reliant on food aid. Some food aid is still available in Gaza but the bombing has stopped aid agencies from distributing food, and when there is food available in the market the prices have escalated three-fold. The crisis is becoming dire for the most vulnerable. Even if they get food people have to cook it, and fuel for cooking is also in short supply. Many bakeries have run out of both flour and fuel and are no longer selling bread...."

"Hospitals have generators and enough fuel to last for a week or so, but with limited spare parts. The biggest problem is the sheer number of casualties medical staff are having to deal with, which now outstrip the numbers of beds available....Miraculously the water and sanitation system has not totally broken down but, as with the hospitals, it is now dependent on generators for power."

Oxfam is an international humanitarian aid organization that works with partners in the occupied Palestinian territories to provide basic health services, water, and food assistance to the most vulnerable families. Oxfam also lobbies donor governments to resume aid to the Palestinian Authority to address the deteriorating humanitarian situation.

» Latest from Oxfam

 

A Glimpse of Life of Civilians Under Fire

From: Democracy and Workers' Rights Center - Palestine (DWRC)

(Dec. 30) DWRC's Gaza branch coordinator, who lives with his family in the south-west of Gaza city, not very far from one of the bombed security compound and the presidential compound, has welcomed families of friends and neighbors into his apartment because it was safer than theirs. There are 20 people living together in his house, most of them children. Adults tell stories to try to distract children during day time to make the situation easier on them. No one goes out on the streets except if they really have to. They have to keep their windows open all the time despite the cold, to avoid that they break into a hundred pieces due to the impact of the missiles exploding in their area.

He says: "I have never experienced a situation like this. Every time the Israeli warplanes bomb a target in our area, we tell the youngest children that the explosions are firecrackers or fireworks, in an attempt to diminish their fears. But only the children under five buy this story. We keep awake at night to comfort our children every time something happens. Since the start of the operation, we have no electricity and now we have no water anymore."

He also mentioned that due to the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip for the past months, the population already suffered from the scarcity of gas, used for cooking in most Palestinian households. Now, without electricity and water and with gas running out, they just hope against all odds that their nightmare will be soon over. Our colleague has still some bread left for the moment, but when there will be no more left, he does not know what they will do. They might have to try to cook bread on small fires in the streets. Few bakeries are still open, there are long lines of people desperate for bread and each person only gets a little, so that as many as possible can get some. As the Israeli military operation continues, indifferent to the suffering and anguish of the civilian Palestinian population, the situation gets more and more desperate for Gaza Strip residents.

While speaking to our colleague on the phone, we could hear in the background the constant drone of Israeli planes circling in the skies. In Gaza, there are no underground shelters or safe rooms where families can take refuge during military strikes. They have to stay in their homes, more or less exposed, depending on their location and the solidity of the building in which they live.

The Democracy and Workers’ Rights Center is a nongovernmental, nonprofit workers' rights organization unaffiliated with any political party. It is based in Ramallah and has a branch in Gaza. It partners with the Washington, DC-based Advocacy Project and is a longtime ally of Boston-based Grassroots International.

» Latest from the Democracy and Workers' Rights Center

Rights Groups Accuse Israel of War Crimes

Solidarity Demonstrations Held in West Bank

From: Alternative Information Center

(Dec. 30) Palestinian Human Rights Community Organizations wrote a letter to member states of the UN Human Rights Council, calling for their action against Israeli ongoing human rights violations in the Gaza Strip. "Grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention amounting to war crimes, have been committed, including, willful killing and the extensive destruction of property not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly," they wrote. "Furthermore, the continuing collective punishment of the Gaza strip has left medical services unable to deal with the increasing number of victims."

Read the whole letter

(Dec. 28) In Ramallah, a large group demonstrated at the Balou' junction to the north of the city, where the Israeli army is stationed. Clashes between protesters and soldiers continued through the Saturday evening. In Bethlehem also, there were more clashes between angry residents and Israeli soldiers, mostly near the area of Rachel’s Tomb.

All of these demonstrations occurred in what are known as "friction points," or what Palestinians sometimes refer to as "prison gates." These are areas from which the Israeli military (following the Oslo agreements) controls the Palestinian freedom of movement in and out of the major cities in the West Bank, while remaining removed from populated areas...

Protest slogans throughout the West Bank focused on the Israeli occupation as the main enemy. Pre-existing internal Palestinian political divisions were put aside as people called not only for national unity, but also for solidarity of Palestinians with the people of Gaza. They declared that the Palestinians are one people and that the Gaza residents are not alone.

In the West Bank, the PLO, Hamas, various national political parties, and civil society organizations declared today (28 December) a general strike throughout all of Palestine, and called for demonstrations in all towns, villages and refugee camps.

The Alternative Information Center (AIC) is a joint Palestinian-Israeli organization that prioritizes advocacy, critical analysis, and information sharing on Palestinian and Israeli societies as well as on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It partners with the Washington, DC-based Advocacy Project.

» Latest from the Alternative Information Center