Israel stops fuel shipments; Gaza City goes dark

[TashaN]

According to the BBC, last year, Israel's defence minister has approved sanctions against Gaza, including cuts in the supply of electricity and fuel to try to halt rocket attacks.

Israel supplies 60% of the electricity for Gaza's 1.5 million inhabitants - but last month Israel declared Gaza a "hostile entity".

By formally declaring Gaza "hostile", Israel argues it is no longer bound by international law governing the administration of occupied territory to supply utilities to the civilian population. But the position accepted by the international community is that Israel remains legally responsible for the coastal strip, despite withdrawing two years ago, because it still controls Gaza's borders, airspace and territorial waters.

Israel imposed an economic embargo on Gaza after the Islamist militant group, Hamas, seized control from the rival Fatah group in June. It is also limiting the movement of people in and out of the territory. But the top United Nations humanitarian official has now urged Israel to lift its economic blockade of the Gaza Strip.

"I would appeal to Israel to relax these restrictions (and) to lift the economic blockade on Gaza," UN Deputy Secretary General John Holmes told journalists. He said the number of humanitarian convoys entering the territory had halved to 1,500 in September from 3,000 in July. "In term of famine, we are not there, but there is a serious humanitarian crisis," Mr Holmes said.

BBC NEWS | Middle East | Israel approves Gaza power cuts

And yesterday, BBC said: UN says Gaza facing food shortage

BBC NEWS | Middle East | UN says Gaza facing food shortage

I guess now, some people will come happily claiming that the Palestinians deserve what ever happen to them, they are terrorists, they shouldn't send rockets bla bla. Who on earth are you talking about?

We are talking about people in here, the eldery, the weak, sick people in hospitals, women, and children. THEY ARE HUMAN BEINGS I SWEAR.

They can't do anything about it. Fateh goes, Hamas comes, and vice versa and all what they can do is to pray in silence.

Hamas is not Gaza, Hamas just happened to control Gaza, and i don't care about Hamas's agenda, but all what i care about is that the international community hold responsible for all this because everyone knows that Israel controls all the boarders and airports and the Palestinian can't get power, food or money without Israel allowing it to pass, which is not happening anymore.

Feel free to be a beast, feel free to be ignorant, but don't come to me saying that they deserve it, please.

 

[kai]

the ordinary people of gaza do not deserve any of this ,and i agree Hamas is not gaza, Hamas just happen to control Gaza, but the fact remains Hamas continuosly fires rockets into israel . there are daily attacks on the town of sderot and ashkelon the Israelis have provided shelters and warning systems but you and i know what will happen if one of these rockets lands in a school or othe civilian target and i can foresee a full scale incursion into Gaza by the Israeli military . the army left Gaza and Hamas continues to poke and prod the tiger not caring a fig for the residents of Gaza
BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Gaza's rocket threat to Israel
BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | UN says Gaza facing food shortage

 

[kai]

just in case anyone didnt know who Hamas reaslly is ,these are some of the Hamas charter and these people run Gaza

Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it."


"The Islamic Resistance Movement believes that the land of Palestine is an Islamic Waqf consecrated for future Moslem generations until Judgement Day. It, or any part of it, should not be squandered: it, or any part of it, should not be given up. "

"There is no solution for the Palestinian question except through Jihad. Initiatives, proposals and international conferences are all a waste of time and vain endeavors."

After Palestine, the Zionists aspire to expand from the Nile to the Euphrates. When they will have digested the region they overtook, they will aspire to further expansion, and so on. Their plan is embodied in the "Protocols of the Elders of Zion", and their present conduct is the best proof of what we are saying."

this is HAMAS and for all the talk of peace there are people on this forum who use pictures of the founder of hamas in their avatars

source
Hamas Charter

 

[jewscout]

the sad thing is that Hamas feels they are better serving the Palestinians by bombing Sderot and Ashkelon than by stopping the violence which would open the way for services to be returned to the people there and for prosperity for everybody.

 

[jewscout]

just in case anyone didnt know who Hamas reaslly is ,these are some of the Hamas charter and these people run Gaza

Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it."


"The Islamic Resistance Movement believes that the land of Palestine is an Islamic Waqf consecrated for future Moslem generations until Judgement Day. It, or any part of it, should not be squandered: it, or any part of it, should not be given up. "

"There is no solution for the Palestinian question except through Jihad. Initiatives, proposals and international conferences are all a waste of time and vain endeavors."

After Palestine, the Zionists aspire to expand from the Nile to the Euphrates. When they will have digested the region they overtook, they will aspire to further expansion, and so on. Their plan is embodied in the "Protocols of the Elders of Zion", and their present conduct is the best proof of what we are saying."

this is HAMAS and for all the talk of peace there are people on this forum who use pictures of the founder of hamas in their avatars

source
Hamas Charter

you forgot the part where they say that Israel, Jews and Judaism are the great enemies of Islam and the Muslim people.

 

[Smoke]

the sad thing is that Hamas feels they are better serving the Palestinians by bombing Sderot and Ashkelon than by stopping the violence which would open the way for services to be returned to the people there and for prosperity for everybody.

I agree that the international community should hold the people responsible for the suffering in Gaza responsible. However, there's no one to blame for it but Hamas. Israel's decision, harsh as it is, seems pretty restrained under the circumstances.

 

[Mike182]

i don't understand why Israel is doing this. surely the Hamas group that is doing the missile attacks will be getting supplies from elsewhere, isn't this just inflicting suffering on civilians?

 

[kai]

i don't understand why Israel is doing this. surely the Hamas group that is doing the missile attacks will be getting supplies from elsewhere, isn't this just inflicting suffering on civilians?

because Hamas is the government of Gaza, and of course they get aid from elsewhere mainly Iran and Saudi arabia,

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

i don't understand why Israel is doing this.

And the Gazan citizenry who systematically shield the terrorists and then pass out candy to celebrate each Israeli casualty are blameless ...

 

[sandandfoam]

And the Gazan citizenry who systematically shield the terrorists and then pass out candy to celebrate each Israeli casualty are blameless ...

I agree that Israel is bound to defend itself.
Is there any way out of this in sight or will Israel will be permanently at war?

 

[jewscout]

i don't understand why Israel is doing this. surely the Hamas group that is doing the missile attacks will be getting supplies from elsewhere, isn't this just inflicting suffering on civilians?

well Israel isn't the only one not giving supplies to Hamas, Egypt opened fire on Gazans who are looking for help from their Egyptian neighbors.

60 wounded as Egyptian troops open fire on Gaza protesters | Jerusalem Post

 

[Sunstone]

And the Gazan citizenry who systematically shield the terrorists and then pass out candy to celebrate each Israeli casualty are blameless ...

So, all Gazan citizenry systematically shield terrorists and thus all are to blame for Israel's actions?

 

[sandandfoam]

So, all Gazan citizenry systematically shield terrorists and thus all are to blame for Israel's actions?

What else can Israel do?
They cannot allow rockets be fired at their citizens, no country would stand for that.

 

[kai]

war with Israel is the justification for groups like Hamas no war no Hamas.
and 75% of electricity comes from Israel and egypt
Minister of National Infrastructures Binyamin Ben Eliezer at the Herzliya Conference (21 Jan): "We are the only state where the consumer aims its missiles every morning towards the country that provides most of its energy."

source
Supply of electricity to Gaza continues despite Kassam attacks 20-Jan-2008

 

[Sunstone]

I agree that Israel is bound to defend itself.

Same here. Israel has a right to defend itself. Israel has a right to exist. But does that right extend to imposing hardships on every last Palestinian in Gaza? Does it extend to permanently occupying the West Bank, seizing its water resources, and planting illegal settlements?

 

[Sunstone]

What else can Israel do?
They cannot allow rockets be fired at their citizens, no country would stand for that.

Do you think the Israeli response will cause Hamas to stop firing rockets? This is a serious question -- I don't know the answer to it.

 

[kai]

Do you think the Israeli response will cause Hamas to stop firing rockets?

no Hamas wont rest until there is a full military intervention by Israeli troops, that the whole point of firing them , Israel were never this "tolerant" in the past

 

[doppelganger]

This will be a very effective measure I'm sure, because it will help the Islamic people of Gaza realize that the Israelis are only interested in liberating them from Hamas. The people will turn from Hamas and embrace their friends in Israel, Hamas will no longer have any support and peace will finally reign because the people will obviously blame Hamas rather than Israel . . .

. . . . dang, this is good peyote.

 

[sandandfoam]

Same here. Israel has a right to defend itself. Israel has a right to exist. But does that right extend to imposing hardships on every last Palestinian in Gaza? Does it extend to permanently occupying the West Bank, seizing its water resources, and planting illegal settlements?

Clearly I don't have the answers, I don't know does anybody. But in the face of attack I don't see the Israelis as having many options and in my admittedly poorly informed point of view I think they are being quite restrained. The IDF have the capability to mount a serious incursion into Gaza and go after these people firing the rockets, would that be better than temporarily blocking the fuel?
The blockade is now lifted to allow fuel through. The Israeli govt. seem to be playing this high stakes scenario well. Time will tell.

 

[jewscout]

Same here. Israel has a right to defend itself. Israel has a right to exist. But does that right extend to imposing hardships on every last Palestinian in Gaza? Does it extend to permanently occupying the West Bank, seizing its water resources, and planting illegal settlements?

what would u suggest to stop rockets from attacking israel?