The Palestine thread

[seafoid]

What would a Palestine State achieve? Would it become a nation of sharia law?

Palestinians as not as good as anyone else. Why do Mongolians have passports ? Because self determination means people get to decide for themselves.

[give her dixie]

World not delivering on Gaza reconstruction promises, new report warns


Six months since donors pledged $3.5 billion towards Gaza's recovery, many people are worse off and not a single one of the 19,000 destroyed homes has been rebuilt. 100,000 people are still homeless and many are living in makeshift camps or schools.

The report, "Charting a New Course: Overcoming the stalemate in Gaza," warns that further conflict is inevitable - and with it the cycle of destruction and donor-funded reconstruction - unless world leaders implement a new approach that addresses the underlying causes of the conflict. Donors must insist on a permanent ceasefire, accountability of all parties for ongoing violations of international law, and an end to the Israeli blockade that seals in 1.8 million Palestinians in Gaza and keeps them separated from the West Bank. Rather than challenging the blockade, the report found that most donors are accepting ways to work around it.

Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of Oxfam, said: "The promising speeches at the donor conference have turned into empty words.There has been little rebuilding, no permanent ceasefire agreement and no plan to end the blockade.The international community is walking with eyes wide open into the next avoidable conflict, by upholding the status quo they themselves said must change."

William Bell of Christian Aid said: "We must ensure that this most recent and most devastating conflict was the last one. There must be consequences for continued violations. By facilitating a culture of impunity, the international community is committing itself to indefinitely picking up the pieces."

Only 26.8 percent of money pledged by donors six months ago has been released so far. Even when funded, many reconstruction projects have not yet begun due to restrictions on essential material under the blockade. Most of the 81 health clinics and hospitals that were damaged still lack funds for reconstruction, but the few that have funds do not have the material needed to proceed.

Tony Laurance, CEO of MAP UK, said: "The world is shutting its eyes and ears to the people of Gaza when they need it most. Reconstruction cannot happen without funds, but money alone will not be enough. With the blockade in place we are just reconstructing a life of misery, poverty and despair."

Since the temporary ceasefire, violence against civilians has continued, with more than 400 incidents of Israeli fire into Gaza and four rockets fired from Gaza into Israel. The report calls on all parties to immediately resume long-term ceasefire negotiations. It calls on Israel to end its blockade and policy of separating Gaza from the West Bank, and for Palestinian political actors to reconcile and prioritize reconstruction. It also calls on Egypt to open its border to allow humanitarian relief.

Recently, donors have managed to achieve some small increase in the flow of construction material, but not enough to meet needs and its impact is extremely limited while the blockade remains in place. The report sets out specific recommendations to the international community to break the cycle of conflict and destruction, including ways to:

Speed up reconstruction, by delivering pledges and insisting on the entry of essential material in line with international law.
   
Ensure all parties are held accountable for violations of international law, including by considering obligations under the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) on weapons known to be used indiscriminately against civilians, and seeking compensation for destroyed aid projects.
   
End the blockade and rehabilitate Gaza's shattered economy. The blockade has reduced Gaza to dependency on aid, with 80 percent of the population receiving international assistance and 63 percent of youth unemployed. Exports from Gaza are at less than two percent of pre-blockade levels with the movement of people and goods between Gaza and the West Bank practically non-existent.

Support the development of a unified Palestinian government. Palestinian leadership on reconstruction has at times been weak and uncoordinated and is further complicated due to Israeli restrictions on government officials' travel. Keeping Gaza separated from the West Bank has entrenched the already problematic split between Fatah and Hamas, with enormous negative impact on the delivery of aid and services in Gaza.

https://www.oxfam.org/en/pressroom/pressreleases/2015-04-13/world-not-delivering-gaza-reconstruction-promises-new-report

[Eamonnca1]

What would a Palestine State achieve? Would it become a nation of sharia law?

What would an independent Irish state achieve? Would it become a nation of theocratic catholic law?

[give her dixie]

New report documents Israel's attacks on children in Gaza

A leading international child's rights NGO has released a hard-hitting new report on "the high price paid by children" during Israel' assault on the Gaza Strip last year.

The report by Defense for Children International Palestine (DCIP), 'Operation Protective Edge: A War Waged on Children', deals with the verified deaths of 547 Palestinian children during Israel's assault, two-thirds of whom were 12 years old or younger.

DCIP says it found "overwhelming and repeated evidence that Israeli forces committed grave violations against children amounting to war crimes." This included the killing of 164 children by drone strikes.

In addition to the fatalities, more than 1,000 children "suffered injuries that rendered them permanently disabled."

The report documents numerous specific incidents, including the deaths of Rawya Joudeh, 40, and four of her five children (aged between 6 and 4), when an Israeli drone-fired missile struck as they played in the family's yard.

According to DCIP, just under half of the children who were killed in Gaza "lost their lives in aerial attacks on residential buildings."

The report states: "Missiles dropped by Israeli warplanes killed 225 children while they were in their own homes or seeking shelter, often as they sat down to eat with their families, played, or slept."

In six military offensives on the Gaza Strip since 2006, Israel has killed 1097 children, says DCIP. The NGO reiterates its call for the UN Secretary-General to "list" Israel's armed forces as part of the UN Security Council's children and armed conflict agenda.

Khaled Quzmar, general director of DCIP, commented: "The international community must demand an end to Israel's illegal blockade of Gaza and challenge systemic impunity by investigating allegations of war crimes and holding the perpetrators accountable."

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/middle-east/18153-new-report-documents-israels-attacks-on-children-in-gaza

[Aestrics]

ISIS have shown Israelies what the caliphate espoused by Hamas really means. The result is no surprise in that context.

The question now really boils down to whether the Palestinians will stop supporting Jihad. Do they want a state or a caliphate ?

Hamas don't support having a caliphate, nor do they support sharia law or ISIS / Al Qaeda jihad.

ISIS consider Hamas to be an enemy.

[give her dixie]

Testimonies provided by more than 60 Israeli soldiers who fought in last summer's war in Gaza have raised serious questions over whether Israel's tactics breached its obligations under international law to distinguish and protect civilians.

The claims – collected by the human rights group Breaking the Silence – are contained in dozens of interviews with Israeli combatants, as well as with soldiers who served in command centres and attack rooms, a quarter of them officers up to the rank of major.

They include allegations that Israeli ground troops were briefed to regard everything inside Gaza as a "threat" and they should "not spare ammo", and that tanks fired randomly or for revenge on buildings without knowing whether they were legitimate military targets or contained civilians

Read the full report here  http://www.breakingthesilence.org.il/pdf/ProtectiveEdge.pdf

News articles on the report

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/04/israeli-soldiers-cast-doubt-on-legality-of-gaza-military-operation

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2015/05/04/israeli-soldiers-reveal-this-is-how-we-fought-in-gaza/

[general_lee]

Exercising their right to self-defence

[Eamonnca1]

Now that IDF soldiers themselves are confirming what we* knew at the time, I await with great interest the usual charges of "they want all Jews dead" that are usually thrown at anyone who challenges the angelic good-guy narrative that Israel tries to cultivate.

*Those of us who get our news from sources other than zionist lackeys.

[macdanger2]

Just watched a doc on BBC about the kids affected by the recent wars in gaza, terrible stuff.

One year today since the most recent war began and seems like very little has changed for these people

[Milltown Row2]

Just watched a doc on BBC about the kids affected by the recent wars in gaza, terrible stuff.

One year today since the most recent war began and seems like very little has changed for these people

Watched it also.... Dreadful plight.... Continuous cycle of hate and doctrine.... Will never see that change in my lifetime

[stew]

Just watched a doc on BBC about the kids affected by the recent wars in gaza, terrible stuff.

One year today since the most recent war began and seems like very little has changed for these people

Watched it also.... Dreadful plight.... Continuous cycle of hate and doctrine.... Will never see that change in my lifetime

In related news a radical Palestinian Muslim kills 4 marines in Chatanooga, TN.

I am sure it is America's fault in a lot of your minds!

[under the bar]

In related news a radical Palestinian Muslim kills 4 marines in Chatanooga, TN.

I am sure it is America's fault in a lot of your minds!

To throw that question back to you Stew,  45 people are violently murdered in the USA every day.  Were the other 41 killed that day America's fault or not? 

[stew]

In related news a radical Palestinian Muslim kills 4 marines in Chatanooga, TN.

I am sure it is America's fault in a lot of your minds!

To throw that question back to you Stew,  45 people are violently murdered in the USA every day.  Were the other 41 killed that day America's fault or not?

So a non answer then!

A f**king Palestinian Muslim killed 4 human beings in the name of Allah! How do you expect the USA to react???

And many liberal assholes over here dont want to close the borders! The mind boggles.

[Arthur_Friend]

In related news a radical Palestinian Muslim kills 4 marines in Chatanooga, TN.

I am sure it is America's fault in a lot of your minds!

To throw that question back to you Stew,  45 people are violently murdered in the USA every day.  Were the other 41 killed that day America's fault or not?

So a non answer then!

Was there a question in your little rant?

[Arthur_Friend]

In related news a radical Palestinian Muslim kills 4 marines in Chatanooga, TN.

I am sure it is America's fault in a lot of your minds!

To throw that question back to you Stew,  45 people are violently murdered in the USA every day.  Were the other 41 killed that day America's fault or not?

So a non answer then!

A f**king Palestinian Muslim killed 4 human beings in the name of Allah! How do you expect the USA to react???

And many liberal assholes over here dont want to close the borders! The mind boggles.

Just closing the borders is too liberal, the USA should kick out everyone who wasn't born there. Up for it?