The War on Gaza's Children

[buffycat]

The War on Gaza's Children

excerpt:

t is a violation of international law to collectively punish more than a million people for something they did not do. According to the Geneva Convention, to which it is a signatory, Israel actually has the obligation to ensure the well-being of the people on whom it has chosen to impose a military occupation for more than four decades.

Instead, it has shrugged off the law. It has ignored the repeated demands of the U.N. Security Council. It has dismissed the International Court of Justice in the Hague. What John Dugard, the U.N.'s special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied territories, refers to as the "carefully managed" strangulation of Gaza -- in full view of an uncaring world -- is explicitly part of its strategy. "The idea," said Dov Weisglass, an Israeli government advisor, "is to put the Palestinians on a diet, but not make them die of hunger."

***

Indeed - in fact the more of these poor children who die, the more 'hatred' towards all Israelis is fueled - and the worse it all becomes. What Israel is doing to the innocents in Gaza is a war crime, a crime against humanity and an outright disgrace to all those Israelis who do NOT adhere to the tough right wing stance of the Likud party.

[buffycat]

Here's another good article about the situation in Gaza, this one is from the Guardian:

Live behing the Wire

Imagine if, after an IRA bombing, a British prime minister declared Catholic areas in Northern Ireland to be hostile territory, and threatened to reduce or cut off goods, water, fuel and electricity supplies.

It sounds implausible but the one and a half million residents of the Gaza Strip, an area the size of the Isle of Wight, may soon face this scenario. The Palestinians of Gaza, already imprisoned, their land, air and sea borders totally closed, are now considered by Israel eligible to have their water, electricity and power cut off. Israeli officials insist that humanitarian considerations will be taken into account, though the Israeli record is not one to reassure Palestinians. These were not a concern when Israel bombed Gaza's only power plant last summer.

This Israeli decision comes after more Qassam rockets have been fired from Gaza into Israel at local communities such as Sderot and a military barracks, where 69 Israeli soldiers were wounded. Israel has a duty to protect its citizens, but are its responses legitimate, commensurate to the threat or even effective?

This is an expansion of an existing sanctions regime. One of the Israeli Prime Minister's advisers, Dov Weissglass, chillingly described the Israeli policy a year ago: "It's like an appointment with a dietician. The Palestinians will get a lot thinner, but won't die."

And the world sits silently by...

[Bonam]

Israel pulled out of Gaza. Gaza is not under Israeli administration. It is not and should not be Israel's responsibility to continue to provide food, water, power, or anything else to Gaza. Israel and Gaza are in a state of war, due to rocket attacks from Gaza, which the government of Gaza (Hamas) does not prevent from occuring. As such, Israel has every right and in fact every responsibility to implement sanctions of all types against this enemy entity. The fact that they still provide Gaza with any food or water at all is merely a generosity.

[M.Dancer]

It is a violation of international law to launch military opertions amongst civilians. It is a violation precisley because it invites retaitory attacks which will endanger civilians.

The onus rests on the terrorists not to launch attacks behind the cover of civilians. Any loss of life because of a retailitory attack is their collective guilt.

And that's international law.

[Borg]

Those damned Jews! It is all their fault!

Every bit of trouble in the middle east could go away and peace would reign supreme. All we have to do is drive the Jews into the ocean!

Buffycat - if all those folks who decided it was ok to shoot at Isreal - would stop doing so, the Jews would not be firing back.

Argue all you want - leave the beehive alone and it drones on in peace and contentment. Stop kicking them and they really will leave you alone.

I know you will not acknowledge that.

But - what the heck - let's finish the final solution - after all it is the only way to bring peace into the middle east.

The writer of War on Gaza's Children needs someone to blame - and obviously it is not those who live at home. To blame them may bring sanction or death.

When you cannot focus upon the truth, create hate - and focus the population on that hate.

It truly works. Gaza is a great example.

It is run by it's own people and terror is still happening. But wait - I am sure we can find a way to blame the darned Jew.

So, let's make some money and sell a story to the eager world population about how bad the Jews really are.

Sigh .......

I hope you only posted for interest, and not because you believe this tripe.

Borg

[ScottSA]

I hear the Jews are grinding up the bones of previously MaIMeD n' sLAuGHtReD!!!!111!! Palestinians to use as fertilizer. A freind of a freind told his freind's freind that he was there when they did it, so we even have an eye witness.

[buffycat]

I hear the Jews are grinding up the bones of previously MaIMeD n' sLAuGHtReD!!!!111!! Palestinians to use as fertilizer. A freind of a freind told his freind's freind that he was there when they did it, so we even have an eye witness.

WTF kind of post is this??

Oh nevermind - it's ScottSA!!!!

To the others:

B'TSelem

[buffycat]

Those damned Jews! It is all their fault!

Every bit of trouble in the middle east could go away and peace would reign supreme. All we have to do is drive the Jews into the ocean!

Buffycat - if all those folks who decided it was ok to shoot at Isreal - would stop doing so, the Jews would not be firing back.

Argue all you want - leave the beehive alone and it drones on in peace and contentment. Stop kicking them and they really will leave you alone.

I know you will not acknowledge that.

But - what the heck - let's finish the final solution - after all it is the only way to bring peace into the middle east.

The writer of War on Gaza's Children needs someone to blame - and obviously it is not those who live at home. To blame them may bring sanction or death.

When you cannot focus upon the truth, create hate - and focus the population on that hate.

It truly works. Gaza is a great example.

It is run by it's own people and terror is still happening. But wait - I am sure we can find a way to blame the darned Jew.

So, let's make some money and sell a story to the eager world population about how bad the Jews really are.

Sigh .......

I hope you only posted for interest, and not because you believe this tripe.

Borg

Borg - things aren't a simple as you make them out to be. Sorry, but that is the truth. I think you need to read a little more and try and see BOTH sides of the fence.

A good starting place is the link I provided above, though I'll link it again here:

B'TSelem

There are nasty folks on both sides of this tragedy - please try to educate yourself a little bit more about the situation. BTW the Palestinians have no hope in hell to drive the Israelis into the sea - and btw NO Arab ever said that - it was Ben-Gurion who said it - based on nothing. It's as bad as the 'wiped off the map' lie which is currently circulating wrt Iran's Ahmadinejad.

What is occuring in Gaza is a humanitarian disaster, not to mention most likely illegal according to international law. It's called collective punishment and NO way whatsoever contributes to anything positive wrt this entire conflict.

[Borg]

Borg - things aren't a simple as you make them out to be. Sorry, but that is the truth. I think you need to read a little more and try and see BOTH sides of the fence.

A good starting place is the link I provided above, though I'll link it again here:

B'TSelem

There are nasty folks on both sides of this tragedy - please try to educate yourself a little bit more about the situation. BTW the Palestinians have no hope in hell to drive the Israelis into the sea - and btw NO Arab ever said that - it was Ben-Gurion who said it - based on nothing. It's as bad as the 'wiped off the map' lie which is currently circulating wrt Iran's Ahmadinejad.

What is occuring in Gaza is a humanitarian disaster, not to mention most likely illegal according to international law. It's called collective punishment and NO way whatsoever contributes to anything positive wrt this entire conflict.

Actually they are that simple you apologist!

I lived it for many years thanks to the UN.

Time for you to get out of your rose coloured world.

Humanitarian disaster? Caused by whom?

If the Arabs stopped shelling the Jews - in other words stopped kicking the bee hive - the cross border stuff would stop.

If Arabs stopped killing Jews it would get very quiet in the middle east.

You will not admit to this.

Inside Gaza tha Arabs are killing each other.

Common denominator for trouble making? Arabs.

Time for you to travel. Bring a vest. Might I recommend the new "Dragon Scales"? It provides flexibility when diving for cover.

Borg

[DogOnPorch]

Borg: Actually they are that simple you apologist!

lol

Borg: If the Arabs stopped shelling the Jews - in other words stopped kicking the bee hive - the cross border stuff would stop.

I tend to agree...though B_Cat will protest otherwise.

B_Cat: Indeed - in fact the more of these poor children who die, the more 'hatred' towards all Israelis is fueled - and the worse it all becomes. What Israel is doing to the innocents in Gaza is a war crime, a crime against humanity and an outright disgrace to all those Israelis who do NOT adhere to the tough right wing stance of the Likud party.

If the money poured into the Palestinian cause had been put to good use rather than buying weapons, perhaps they would have built a society with proper schools (non-religious), modern infrastructure, tourism and what-not. But it seems the Palestinians would rather engage in constant warfare against their Jewish neighbours in hopes of what? Driving them into the sea? What do they hope to gain except more pain and death? They should quit while they still have the land they do have.

But that's just my view...

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Here I go with the timid little woodland creature bit again. It's shameful, but...ehhh, it's a living.

---Bugs Bunny

[ScottSA]

They should quit while they still have the land they do have.

What is amazing to me is that Israel puts up with it, year after year after year. If someone tried that kind of crap with any other advanced nation they would have been so thoroughly thrashed that they would never think of doing it again. Yet Israel has put up with half a century of wars, periodic rocket attacks, and neverending terrorism, and still manages to act like a civilized nation.

Hey Buffy, where do you live? You wouldn't mind periodic rocket attacks on your home town, would you? I somehow suspect that not only would you mind, but you'd loudly demand that the government come immediately to your aid. Things get a bit more immediate and a little less abstract when the barbarians are banging on your front door. God willing you'll never have to find out what that's like.

[DogOnPorch]

ScottSA: If someone tried that kind of crap with any other advanced nation they would have been so thoroughly thrashed that they would never think of doing it again.

Of course. Imagine if Mexico started lobbing rockets at Texas in order to make some dumb point about the Battle of the Alamo. The result would be the Panama Canal being widened several hundred miles ending at Tiajuana. The Palestinains had their chance at a proper country in 1947 and chose war instead...which they lost. They should stop playing the victim and get on with life. Victims get tiresome...

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Accept fate, and move on. Don't yield to the seductive pull of self-pity. Acting like a victim threatens your future.

---Unknown

Edited September 28, 2007 by DogOnPorch

[buffycat]

Of course. Imagine if Mexico started lobbing rockets at Texas in order to make some dumb point about the Battle of the Alamo. The result would be the Panama Canal being widened several hundred miles ending at Tiajuana. The Palestinains had their chance at a proper country in 1947 and chose war instead...which they lost. They should stop playing the victim and get on with life. Victims get tiresome...

----------------------------------------------------------------

Accept fate, and move on. Don't yield to the seductive pull of self-pity. Acting like a victim threatens your future.

---Unknown

Well, with respect to your flawed analogy the State of Texas is NOT occupying Mexico, conducting raids and extrajudicial assassinations, kidnappings and destroying infrastructure as well as bulldozing Mexicans homes and setting up illegal 'Texas Only' settlements throughout the most agriculturally significant areas of Mexico! Last time I checked I don't think that the State of Texas has been collecting all aid and taxes for Mexico - and refusing to give it to them, nor do I think that the State of Texas has sealed all of the borders of Mexico!! Last I heard the State of Texas was also NOT in the habit of flying low over populated Mexican areas creating sonic booms all night either! Oh and I don't think that the state of Texas has killed almost 100 Mexican children in the last year either, not to mention the almost 400 other civilians.

However, if the State of Texas DID do all of this - I would certainly not blame the Mexicans if they feebley lobbed unguided rockets into Texas.

[bush_cheney2004]

Well, with respect to your flawed analogy the State of Texas is NOT occupying Mexico, conducting raids and extrajudicial assassinations, kidnappings and destroying infrastructure as well as bulldozing Mexicans homes and setting up illegal 'Texas Only' settlements throughout the most agriculturally significant areas of Mexico!

Ahem...you obviously do not know the history of "Texas".

DOP - I agree...they blew it in 1947....and every year thereafter.

[DogOnPorch]

Greetings BC2004...I hope you've been well.

The UN Partion of 1947 in hindsight would have been a far better result than what the 'Palestinians' picked behind door #3...war with the new state of Israel. Thank the Nazi Grand Mufti (Arafat's uncle) for rejecting the partition outright and calling on every Muslim country in the area to invade Israel. Had the Muslims won there wouldn't be an Israel (driven into the sea, etc)...but I'm not so sure there would have been a Palestine, either. Greater Jordan or Syria more likely...

However, that's not what happened...Israel beat every enemy army that came its way using "feeble" home made weapons, surplus military gear and school buses.

I don't expext B_Cat will suddenly see the light as she is very pro-Palestinan. They can do no wrong as her Mexican rocket statement shows...lol. But, I do admire the way the 'Palestinians' and several other Muslim nations in the area use the old goose-step and the Nazi salute. Shows they keep traditions alive....

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We will not bend or fail until the blood of every last Jew from the youngest child to the oldest elder is spilt to redeem or land.

-Yasser Arafat

[bush_cheney2004]

Greetings BC2004...I hope you've been well.

The UN Partion of 1947 in hindsight would have been a far better result than what the 'Palestinians' picked behind door #3...war with the new state of Israel. Thank the Nazi Grand Mufti (Arafat's uncle) for rejecting the partition outright and calling on every Muslim country in the area to invade Israel. Had the Muslims won there wouldn't be an Israel (driven into the sea, etc)...but I'm not so sure there would have been a Palestine, either. Greater Jordan or Syria more likely...

Likewise DOP....

and true....we saw more brilliant failure in the region with Nassar and the UAR, particularly for Syria and Egypt. Didn't last long......

[DogOnPorch]

Nasser's bleatings to the Arab world are indeed reflected in the reality of today's Middle-East.

"Pan-Arabism" = "If we all band together, we can beat the Israeli army...besides we all have nice new tanks and jets."

Didn't work either...

All the pro-Arab talk of 'illegal occupation' over the years is pure pie in the sky as Israel won the war hands down...in record time. Had the Arabs won there wouldn't have been any talk about giving Israel a break and allowing it to exist. The objective Nasser stated was Israel's destruction. Israel's objective has to head-off this looming threat and de-tooth the lions.

But it's more fun to blame Israel for the mess Nasser and his lot created.

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There is no longer a way out of our present situation except by forging a road toward our objective, violently and by force, over a sea of blood and under a horizon blazing with fire.

---Gamal Abdel Nasser, Spring 1967

[Rue]

My problem with the Buffy;s of this world is they live by proxy. They sit in sheltered safe cozy rooms and rely on reality to be imparted to them from going on the inter-net and looking for articles to back up their preconceived beliefs. They do nnot attempt to see both sides of the conflict and see all the victims. They pick and choose. They pick their victims and they choose their heroes.

When they talk they like to sound full of self-righteousness and its always in a tone that they know better and they are in the position to be morally indignant and lecture others and the short-comings of those they choose as their trend of the moment to hate.

In this present case, Buffy yet again comes on the forum to present her usual mantra-please read articles I agree with-if you don't see the conflict as I do then you are wrong.

My point is as follows;

1-the children who suffer are on both sides of the Gaza not just within Gaza

2-the civil war between Fatah and Hamas that kills and rapes and violates its people and its children was not created by nor can it be ended by Israel

3-the poverty and despair in Gaza has been brought on by the deliberate decision of Hamas to engage in a rocket war against Israel rather then declare a truce with Israel-its intentions are blatant and stated out loud and that is, it will not stop until Israel and Jordan become a Palestine state it controls.

Buffy's attempt to exploit the suffering of Gaza's children for her own political agenda is in my opinion morally bankrupt and its precisely why when she pretends she is on moral high ground as she pontificates and portrays Israel as evil, I bluntly say she has no credibility.

What we all know is Hamas are blood thirsty terrorists who deliberately kidnapped soldiers and shoot missiles to provoke Israel to prevent peace.

Yes when Israel retaliates innocent Gaza people suffer. They suffer each and every day Hamas exists and uses them as cannon fodder.

Its easy for Buffy the Moral Purveyor of Absulute Truth to point fingers. It is not her children faced faily with missile attacks she has to defend.

Israel has made many mistakes in Gaza. So has Fatah. But they are trying to forge a peaceful relationship.

The future of Gaza is in their hands not Hamas'.

Hamas chose to throw its people out into the line of fire rather then cherish and protect them.

Until Buffy talks of the children on both sides who suffer equally she will continue to receive this kind of response from me.

It is lazy to simply come on this post and repeat one sided diatribes.

But of course if someone is expecting Buffy to come on this post and propose a peaceful solution that respects both sides of the conflict equally they can hold their breath. In her world its easy to be shrill and criticize, that is precisely what we do when we have nothing positive to contribute.

Disarm Hamas, and the children of Gaza will breath. It is that simple.

[buffycat]

Well Rue and the Rest of you - Please re-read the topic of this thread: CHILDREN in Gaza.

NOW.

We can all argue to the end of time as to what happened in 47 and 48, or for that matter the terrorism which occured prior to the UN creation of Israel.

Where will that get us?

I am talking about the needless slaughter of CHILDREN. Period.

A few more were killed just days ago. Another died waiting at a checkpoint. Three were blown to bits for playing in a field.

While you can sit there and blab on about the atrocities committed by both Hamas/Fatah what of the atrocities committed BY the STATE of Israel. This street goes two ways Rue - and you know it.

I don't think I've ever seen you show any kind of sympathy for any Palestinian who has lost thier children, brothers, sisters wives or husbands - ever. I'm not talking about cowardly suicide bombers either - I am talking about people. This is what YOU miss Rue - in your haste to defend the indefensible wrt Israeli policies (note I state POLICIES - not refering to ALL Israeli citizens). Israel needs to shoulder her own responsibility in this matter. Solutions needs to be found - solutions which have been offered time and time again - with both sides failing miserably. The PA by lacking the leadership and its inability to reign in extremist factions - and Israel by continuing to create the 'reality' on the 'ground' READ: Illegal settlements. Believe me there is lots of blame to go around and it doesn't just land on the shoulders of the Palestinians - it rests with Israel as well, and of course the US for her aiding and abetting the situation.

So what now for the children of Gaza? What do you think it does to a child, mentally to live in what is essentially a huge open air prison? To be attacked in the West Bank by radical settlers? To watch their parents be dehumanized and treated like cattle continually at the various checkpoints and roadblocks? To live with drones buzzing and F16's flying overhead? Do you honestly believe that Israel is handling her responsibility as OCCUPIER in a reasonable manner?

You NEVER answer these questions. Yet - these sorts of atrocities do need to be dealt with - and Israel DOES need to step up to the plate. Oh, yes they 'left' Gaza - but how? The Gazans were still forbidden to collect their own taxes, to fish in their own sea waters, to control their own borders! That really isn't leaving is it? WRT Hamas - Israel has been subjugating the Palestinians in both the West Bank and Gaza since the 67 war - long before the advent of Hamas (Current boogeyman). Israel's right wing Likud party has NO desire for peace - they have a simple desire for a land - without people which they can claim as theirs - if it takes time to ethnicaly cleanse the remaining areas still harbouring Palestinians - so be it. Lieberman is NO longer the exception.

So, the question remains - what of the children? What of the lives of these future generations - both Israeli and Palestinian alike? There are alot of Israelis who DO not agree with the IDF and the militarisation of Israeli Society Rue - not all of them are like you - uncaring towards their fellow man.

[DogOnPorch]

Ah yes: Yea Olde "Won't sombody think of the children?" trotted out for us to wallow in.

I stand by my comments. Blame Nasser and the Nazi Grand Mufti (Yasser Arafat's uncle). They lit the current powderkeg. Did you know the Grand Mufti interceded with the deportation of Jews from the Balkans in fear that they might move to British Palestine? Helps when Himmler is one of your best chums, of course.

To me...supporting the Palestinian cause is akin to supporting Nazis.

Trot for trot...

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66 Years: Babi Yar Sept 29-Oct 4th 1941: 30,000+ Jews shot to death in Kiev by German SS and Ukrainian security police.

Edited October 1, 2007 by DogOnPorch

[bush_cheney2004]

To me...supporting the Palestinian cause is akin to supporting Nazis.

Indeed...and it is even worse for the Palestinians, which has been failed by their "leadership" time and time again. As pawns in the Pan-Arab game, they have lost 50 years of economic development engaging in hopeless campaigns that waste even more precious resources.

[DogOnPorch]

Did you know the Grand Mufti interceded with the deportation of Jews from the Balkans...

Just to be clear...Bosnia, Hungary, Rumania and Bulgaria were part of the Axis. When they attempted to merely deport their Jews out of the country to the outside world, the Mufti had them rerouted to the death camps. He was a full SS general with his own army and the same fellow who lead the charge to drive the Jews into the sea in 1948...

He made it to a ripe old age (d. 1974)...untried for his massive crimes against humanity.

Until every last bit of Nazi stink is removed from the Palestinian cause they can forget sympathy from me. Too bad for their children...but as Golda said (more or less)...'until they love their children more than they hate us.'

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Moses dragged us for 40 years through the desert to bring us to the one place in the Middle East where there was no oil.

---Golda Meir

Edited October 2, 2007 by DogOnPorch

[AngusThermopyle]

Just to be clear...Bosnia, Hungary, Rumania and Bulgaria were part of the Axis. When they attempted to merely deport their Jews out of the country to the outside world, the Mufti had them rerouted to the death camps. He was a full SS general with his own army and the same fellow who lead the charge to drive the Jews into the sea in 1948...

Interesting that you mention this, I've brought it up before. He was responsible for re-routing Jewish children to the death camps actually, over six thousand of them. Nazi ideology formed a great deal of the "New Arabic Political Conciousness", examples are frequent. They like to use the Nazi technique of indoctrinating the children as well, Hitler had his hitler youth, they have summer camp that is in effect boot camp.

You should watch "Suicide Killers". They went into Israeli maximum security detention centers and interviewed captive terrorists. Its fascinating. These men and women are absolutely unrepentant and profess nothing more than a desire to be free so they can make another attempt. Particularly chilling is the interview with the Hamas bomber in the field (not prison). It's they way he talks about how happy he would be to walk into a nursery full of Israeli babies and detonate himself that really hits home.

They also interview non terrorist Palestinians, some show support, some a kind of tacit support and others are opposed, but afraid. The interview that stands out for me is the one near the end. they talk to two young men, brothers. these guys made perfect sense. They are Muslim but believe their religion has been perverted, as one of them says "no good can come of it" (talking about how Islam is being used to justify killing). They would like to see an end to the fighting but were too afraid to say or do anything about it.

It's a movie that presents both sides of the conflict and is definitely worth watching.

Relating to the whole Nazi connection the documentary "Obsession" deals with that in a pretty in depth way and provides a lot of good source material for further research.

[DogOnPorch]

AngusThermopyle: Interesting that you mention this, I've brought it up before....

The Arabs (and other Muslim states) in general have a knack since the 1930s for picking the 'other horse' in these affairs. Both Iran and Iraq as well as the Palestinan Arabs courted the Nazis during the early part of WW2. After the war they tended to throw their hats in with the Soviets making them defacto Warsaw Pact nations without the pact portion. Not to mention in some cases providing a willing home for escaped Nazis on the run from the law...Egypt being the main case in particular.

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I think we're just out of Waldorfs...

---Basil Fawlty

[jennie]

Greetings BC2004...I hope you've been well.

The UN Partion of 1947 in hindsight would have been a far better result than what the 'Palestinians' picked behind door #3...war with the new state of Israel. Thank the Nazi Grand Mufti (Arafat's uncle) for rejecting the partition outright and calling on every Muslim country in the area to invade Israel. Had the Muslims won there wouldn't be an Israel (driven into the sea, etc)...but I'm not so sure there would have been a Palestine, either. Greater Jordan or Syria more likely...

However, that's not what happened...Israel beat every enemy army that came its way using "feeble" home made weapons, surplus military gear and school buses.

I don't expext B_Cat will suddenly see the light as she is very pro-Palestinan. They can do no wrong as her Mexican rocket statement shows...lol. But, I do admire the way the 'Palestinians' and several other Muslim nations in the area use the old goose-step and the Nazi salute. Shows they keep traditions alive....

----------------------------------------------------------

We will not bend or fail until the blood of every last Jew from the youngest child to the oldest elder is spilt to redeem or land.

-Yasser Arafat

Is it not possible to be pro Israeli and not anti-Palestinian? Nobody wants anyone to suffer. I am not religious of any nature, just human:

20 Sept. 2007: Cabinet decision will impose collective punishment on a civilian population, lead to grave breach of International Law

Israeli rights groups condemn proposed state sanctions against Gaza civilians:

Seven Israeli human rights organizations jointly warn that yesterday's Cabinet decision to limit the electricity and fuel supply to the Gaza Strip and to further restrict movement in and out of Gaza will exacerbate the existing humanitarian crisis there. In addition, the sanctions constitute a grave breach of the foremost principle of international humanitarian law: the obligation to distinguish between combatants and civilians. In addition, the decision is liable to constitute a violation of one of the absolute prohibitions of international law: the ban on collective punishment. The coalition believes that these sanctions will also not prevent armed groups from launching rocket attacks on Israeli communities.

The Israeli Cabinet's claim that the proposed sanctions will not affect the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is false. Limiting the electricity supply will drastically reduce the functioning capacity of hospitals and health clinics. In addition, limited electricity will reduce Gaza 's water pumping system, and will cripple its sewage system and water supply. Thus, the Cabinet's decision not to cut Gaza 's water supply is not a humane gesture because the other sanctions will effectively diminish it in any case.

The human rights organizations urge the Cabinet to reverse its decision to impose collective punishment on the Gaza Strip – a grave violation of international humanitarian law.

The coalition of human rights groups consists of: The Association for Civil Rights in Israel; Bimkom – Planners for Planning Rights; B'Tselem – the Israeli Information Cent e r for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories; Gisha: Legal Center for Freedom of Movement; HaMoked: The Center for the Defense of the Individual; Physicians for Human Rights; The Public Committee Against Torture in Israel.