Fw: [ANSWER]: EYEWITNESS GAZA: Appeal to the world to speak out against an Israeli invasion

["Nello Margiotta" <animarg@tin.it>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "A.N.S.W.E.R." <answer.general@action-mail.org>
To: <answer.general@action-mail.org>
Sent: Tuesday, May 21, 2002 12:49 AM
Subject: [ANSWER]: EYEWITNESS GAZA: Appeal to the world to speak out against
an Israeli invasion


> EYEWITNESS GAZA: Appeal to the world to speak out against
> an Israeli invasion
>
> A fact-finding delegation dispatched to the West Bank and
> Gaza from a delegation including legal and public health
> experts and human rights activists is investigating the
> conditions of the Palestinian people living under harsh
> Israeli occupation in the West Bank and Gaza.  The
> delegation was organized by the International A.N.S.W.E.R.
> coalition - Act Now to Stop War & End Racism.  The
> delegation will prepare a report describing its findings
> in the coming weeks.
>
> Because of the imminent danger of a new Israeli invasion
> into Gaza, the delegation has issued a preliminary report
> and an appeal to people of conscience to take action aimed
> at preventing Israeli military action.  Given the
> conditions in Gaza, one of the most densely populated
> areas of the world, a new Israeli incursion would lead to
> a major human rights catastrophe, according to the
> delegates.
>
> UPDATE / REPORT FROM THE FACT-FINDING DELEGATION IN GAZA
>
> Occupied Gaza is under urgent preparations for a possible
> full-out Israeli attack similar to the Israeli offensive
> in the West Bank that began on March 30.
>
> The delegation met with doctors, nurses and medical staff
> of the Union of Health Work Committees on the preparations
> under way at Al Awda Hospital in Jebalya Camp.  The
> delegation interviewed Dr. Mona Al-Farra of the Union of
> Health Work Committees and Dr. Abu Sitta.
>
> The doctors detailed the catastrophic outcome of any
> attack in densely-populated Gaza.
>
> For example, on March 20, Israeli tanks indiscriminately
> opened fire into homes in Jebalya Camp, leaving 22
> Palestinians dead and 83 injured in a matter of minutes.
>  Earlier, on February 29, an Israeli missile killed two
> children and injured twelve more children with flying
> shrapnel in an operation aimed at assassinating a
> Palestinian resistance leader.  Doctors at Al Aqsa
> hospital report the use of nail-filled cluster-type bombs,
> weapons that maim and kill indiscriminately, the use of
> which constitute war crimes.  The evidence, consisting of
> scores of nails recovered from victims' bodies, has been
> transferred to the International Red Cross as evidence.
>
> Given the density of the population, any military
> operation will inevitably lead to a large number of
> indiscriminate civilian casualties.
>
> The Gaza Strip is a narrow, sandy strip thirty miles long,
> totally surrounded on all sides and walled off by the
> Israeli military and segmented into separate sections.
>  Even fishing boats are restricted to an area close to the
> shoreline.
>
> Over 1 million Palestinians are crammed into 60 percent of
> this tiny area while 6,000 Israeli settlers and Israeli
> military acting as their private security force have
> confiscated and currently occupy over 40 percent of the
> Gaza Strip. In the past year and a half, since the second
> Intifada--or Palestinian uprising, known as the Al Aqsa
> Intifada--began in September 2000, this occupation has
> intensified.
>
> Thousands of trees, date palms, orange groves, olive trees
> and strawberry fields have been uprooted on every roadside
> and in huge swaths surrounding every Israeli settlement.
>  The road from Erez crossing into Gaza that extends all
> the way to the far tip of Gaza in Rafah, now takes many
> hours or even days--in the past people could make the trip
> in thirty-five minutes.
>
> In Jebalya Camp, over 120,000 people are packed into two
> square kilometers.  In 1972, under Ariel Sharon's
> direction, Israeli Defense Forces drove tanks into the
> tiny narrow streets of Jebalya, crushing homes and
> bulldozing twelve wide avenues--known here as "Sharon
> Boulevards"--to make it more convenient for armored tanks
> to attack the centers of the population. Over 5,000 were
> rendered homeless by this action.
>
> Already many lessons from the experiences of the Israeli
> offensive in the West Bank have been absorbed here.
>
> In the recent West Bank invasions, the Israeli army has
> blockaded hospitals, shot at ambulances and denied the
> inured access to desperately needed medical treatment.
>  This has caused many people to bleed to death--just
> blocks from hospitals that were surrounded and off limits.
>  According to Palestinian sources, including the Palestine
> Red Crescent Society, during the Al Aqsa Intifada the
> Israeli forces have killed four ambulance drivers,
> partially or wholly destroyed 165 Palestinian ambulances,
> and denied ambulances access to the injured and killed on
> 350 occasions (figures accurate through April 21, 2002).
>
> Now, the Palestinian people, in preparation for an
> anticipated Israeli attack, adapting to these Israeli war
> crimes and unconscionable tactics, have established
> emergency field units at points throughout the refugee
> camps on the Gaza Strip.
>
> Trained first aid teams and medics are being organized in
> every neighborhood.  They have been equipped with small
> resuscitation devices and reserve units of basic fluids.
>  More than 250 medical kits for health care professionals
> have been distributed and 500 emergency first aid kits.
>  More than 350 young people have recently taken emergency
> first aid training. Doctors are sleeping in the hospitals
> rather than going home so they will not be blocked from
> the hospital.
>
> Pregnant women in the third trimester have been given
> birth delivery kits prepared by the maternity department
> that provide 10 step advise if women can not get past
> checkpoints as they go into labor.
>
> The high level of organization by these dedicated health
> providers are an important part of combating a feeling of
> helplessness in the face of overwhelming violence. It is
> intended to empower people, help in creating a higher
> level of organization and social cohesion.
>
> Over 160 doctors, nurses and paramedics have been killed
> or wounded during this Intifada because they are usually
> in the front lines during emergencies.
>
> Although the Union of Health Work Committees attempted to
> purchase bullet proof vests and helmets--such as all
> Israeli forces and settlers routinely wear--Israel denied
> them the right to buy this safety equipment for use in
> combat zones.
>
> The delegation noted the disastrous human rights effect of
> the Israeli checkpoint that cuts off the southern section
> of Gaza Strip, blocking Khan Younis and Rafah.  There,
> thousands of people and a line of cars stretching over a
> mile had been waiting in the sun for nine hours to cross
> into Khan Younis.  Among those stopped at the checkpoint
> were sick people waiting to see doctors, as well as others
> attempting to reach their place of work.  Also caught in
> the bottleneck were people attempting to deliver food and
> medicine.  A coordinator of food delivery explained that
> the Israelis have drastically cut the food coming into
> Gaza, making it difficult for people to stockpile
> emergency supplies.
>
> The fact-finding delegation also traveled to Bethlehem and
> visited the Church of the Nativity, recently under siege
> for 40 days.  The church is now open, but the area is
> still completely surrounded by Israeli military forces.
>
> The A.N.S.W.E.R. fact-finding delegation will give direct
> testimony on the findings of its trip at the June 1
> Emergency National Anti-War Conference.  For more details
> about this conference, go to
> http://www.internationalanswer.org .
>
> The delegation includes Richard Becker, West Coast
> Coordinator of the International Action Center and member
> of the A.N.S.W.E.R. coalition steering committee; Carl
> Messineo, attorney and co-founder of the Partnership for
> Civil Justice and member of the A.N.S.W.E.R. coalition
> steering committee; Sara Flounders, Co-Director of the
> International Action Center; Dr. Hillel Cohen, doctor of
> public health and epidemiologist and delegate of 1199
> National Health and Human Services Employees Union.
>
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