Mohammed Saber / EPA/Shutterstock
Israel has tightened its siege on the Gaza Strip. After its closing of the Kerem Shalom crossing for all goods apart from fuel, food and medicine on July 9th, Israel Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman has stated that the transfer of gas and fuel will also cease from Wednesday, July 18th until Sunday, July 22nd, this is all due to tensions with Hamas.
In addition to that the livelihood of Palestinians has been shrunk even further after Lieberman also announced that Palestine fishermen will only be allowed to sail up to 3 nautical miles off the coast, instead of the previous limitation of 6. The limitation has remained at 6 nautical miles for a while, with the exception of a six-week expansion to 9 miles, which started in October of 2017. It is notable that these limitations are present despite Israel’s obligation under the Oslo Accords to allow fishing up to 20 nautical miles off the Gaza shoreline.
This comes after Israel claims it has discovered a falcon, to which members of Gaza armed groups have allegedly tied an incendiary device which is meant to set fires, which appears to be the first case of Gaza fighters using animals for their attacks on Israel.
On Saturday, July 15th Israel sent air raids to attack Hamas targets in Gaza in its largest bombardment since the 2014 war, among the victims were two teenagers playing on the roof of a bombarded high-rise. Hamas retaliated with numerous rockets which disrupted daily life.
The Egypt-brokered ceasefire is still in effect, and Israel claims that it has no wishes in engaging in a war with Hamas, however it shall not tolerate the incendiary kites and balloons that are being sent over the border and which damage Israeli land and nature reserves.
On Tuesday, July 10th, Egypt closed its Gaza crossing, mainly used for pedestrian passage, however it started allowing the passage of some goods.
Hamas immediately condemned Israel’s decision to stop gas and fuel into Gaza, only allowing food and medicine on a case by case basis.
The blockade of the border crossing by Israel was called a “crime against humanity” by Hamas, which has warned that the decision would have “serious consequences.” Hamas spokesman Abdel Latif Kanou said that the decision shows Israel’s “bad intentions” and it shows intention of “committing more crimes against the Palestinians.” He also called for the international community to break the silence and condemn Israel for its crimes against humanity.
Hazem Qassem, another Hamas spokesman, denounced the decision as a “crime”, which is in violation with all international laws and conventions. The decision, however, according to Qassem’s words will not falter the Palestinians’ willpower and resolve to pursue freedom.
Palestinians are warning that food may also be banned. Raed Fattouh, head of the Gaza Committee for Coordinating the Entry of Goods into the Gaza Strip said on Monday, as reported by the Jerusalem Post, that Israel has informed the Palestinians of its intention to close the crossing entirely and that it would only allow medical supplies, and only when they’re needed.
Before the prohibition of entry of gas and fuel the EU and UN called on Israel to permit the passage of commercial goods, the international community’s answer to the most recent decision has not yet been given.
The blockade and recent ban of fuel and gas, comes after a weekend filled with air raids and bombardment from both sides, as well as after months of protest marches along the Gaza Strip.
Luciferian zionists carrying out open genocide of the Palestinian people,cheered on by their fake news media and corrupt politicians in europe and jewSA..But justice will eventually come,and revenge is best served Cold.
Algeminer:
Israel Calls for a Return to Normal Life After 200-Rocket Barrage From Hamas in Gaza
The jewish victim-violins don’t work any more, dear. When you’re a sadistic occupier, expect never-ending violent resistance against you. And if you don’t like the ‘violence’ part, then “get the hell outta Palestine”!
I don’t know how many times you have to be told that you cannot simultaneously be BOTH victim and occupier. Most certainly, the jews are NOT victims in the middle east.
NBC NEWS:
The U.S. listed the head Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, as a specially designated global terrorist. Hamas has been responsible for an estimated 17 American lives killed in terrorist attacks.
Enough said!!!
First, stop it with your stupid ‘Salah Bardawil’ blah blah lies!!! Independent organizations on the ground PROVE otherwise, plus the tally of the dead Gazans also proves otherwise too! And even if what you say were the case, hamas happens to be a legitimate resistance group, originally funded by the mossad, no less, so as to pit them against Yasser Arafat. Then they went rogue on you and you’re still about that!
“… there is a price for your ethnic cleansing of Middle Eastern Jews and
Christians in Arab countries and your failed attempt at genocidal wars”.
oh just put a sock in it you little wannabe semite! The fake jews of europe set up false flag ops against Arab jewish synagogues in Egypt and in Iraq to scare the native Arab jews into moving to israel so as to increase their israeli demography – google the ‘Lavon Affair’ for confirmation of these FACTS! They’ve also behind the migration of Palestinian Christians from Historic Palestine, let alone israel’s pet terrorists ISIS ethnically cleansed the Yazidi Christians from Iraq and also mass-murdered Syrian Christians as well. The genocidal Khazarian jews never cease to complain and whine about crimes THEY’RE ACTUALLY THEMSELVES COMMITTING!!!
FACTUALLY, the ONLY people who committed ethnic cleansing on Arab muslims, Arab Christians AND Arab jews ARE fake khazarian jews like you! You’re the fucking ethnic cleansers who brought nothing but pure evil to the middle east!
And finally, israel has killed by far more Americans than Hamas has (your figure is fiddled with, as per your usual number-fiddling tendencies!). USS Liberty much?! And this is just one example of intentional jewish aggression against Americans, let alone all our soldiers who’ve died fighting israel’s illegal wars of aggression in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, etc.
So all in all: take your preposterous hasbara and shove it!
Salah Bardawil, a senior Hamas official deal with it!!!????
Actually I’d much rather ‘deal’ with your conversion to judaism and your wannabe-semite fixation! Why are you trying to avoid this most important FACT!
And it’s utterly MEANINGLESS that one single over-excited ‘Salah’ told this fib – NOBODY ELSE did and the Gaza corpses’ IDs PROVE that both YOU and Salem are off the mark. But at least Salah misspoke when he was in shell-shock and confused, while you SOBERLY LIE TO JUSTIFY JEWISH MASS MURDER!
AGAIN, take your fucking hasbara LIES and shove it! Nobody gives a shit about your cheap propaganda! You need to get the fuck outta Palestine before the ‘khkhkhkhamas’ and the ‘khkhkhkhezbollah’ come kick yer sorry ass out, “idiot”!!!
????????????????????????????!
“take your fucking hasbara…” – Lena Jones
I’ll get back to you once you’ve matured beyond the toddler with dirty diapers stage, pathetic idiot.
The only people wearing diapers are the terrorist idf jews on the battlefield. And the only “pathetic idiot” hasbara fucker around here is some wannabe semite propagandist high on ziocain who goes by the gentile name of ‘kirby1’.
You waste your time defending the genocidal, terrorist state of israel when any day now, the Levant natives will be rightfully destroying it to liberate their land.
I gave Kirby my most loving response to date. I do not get angry often…
Israel’s internet army of amateur propagandists are more likely to do ‘hit and run’, just like their coward masters do in Syria.
I wouldn’t hold my breath and it’s pointless engaging with zio-cogs past the bitch-slap: the brainwash is deep and incurable.
Your first post immediately runs headlong into a brick wall. You frame Israel’s loosening of draconian measures imposed under a brutal broad spectrum blockade as evidence of the benevolent side of Israeli policy towards the Palestinians – although relying on IDF sources does make for a truly convincing argument that has warmed my heart…
Seriously, you must know that a blockade is an act of war and therefore, Palestinians have the right to resist under international law.
The blockade is illegal and also a war crime as it represents collective punishment. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have reported on this extensively and are credible sources. They have to be because you use IDF mouthpieces as a source and the IDF cites Amnesty and HRW when they report on human rights violations perpetrated by Hamas. No you cannot cherry pick, they are either credible or not credible. And if they are not credible, then neither is the IDF given they knowingly cite untrustworthy sources to support their position.
Israel also impedes humanitarian aid, ensures key infrastructure and institutions are regularly demolished to effectively destroy the civil society – these are war crimes and I am sorry, meagre gestures of loosening the choke hold does not equate to a pardon for past crimes considering the crimes continue, just slightly less of a war crime than before I suppose by some twisted logic your post seems to imply.
And finally, even if Palestinian resistance is illegal, Israeli retaliation is way over the top and represents war crimes for (1) disproportionate force, (2) intentional targeting of civilians including children – if you look at casualty figures by type, the extraordinarily high civilian toll and high proportion being children means either the IDF is targeting civilians, or, the IDF is incompetent. (3) use of banned munitions – phosphorous. There is extensive video evidence of use of phosphorous that include Palestinian civilians suffering from the distinct and gruesome burns caused by phosphorous. There is good reason they are banned, but apparently not good enough for your benevolent IDF.
While you feel fit to lecture others as if you hold the moral high ground, the reality is a page out of Orwell’s 1984 where the benevolent HQ of the IDF is akin to the Ministry of Love.
Enough said.
1. A maritime blockade is in effect off the coast of Gaza. Such blockade has been imposed, as Israel is currently in a state of armed conflict with the Hamas regime that controls Gaza, which has repeatedly bombed civilian targets in Israel with weapons that have been smuggled into Gaza via the sea.
2. Maritime blockades are a legitimate and recognized measure under international law that may be implemented as part of an armed conflict at sea.
3. A blockade may be imposed at sea, including in international waters, so long as it does not bar access to the ports and coasts of neutral states.
4. The naval manuals of several western countries, including the US and England recognize the maritime blockade as an effective naval measure and set forth the various criteria that make a blockade valid, including the requirement of give due notice of the existence of the blockade.
5. In this vein, it should be noted that Israel publicized the existence of the blockade and the precise coordinates of such by means of the accepted international professional maritime channels. Israel also provided appropriate notification to the affected governments and to the organizers of the Gaza protest flotilla. Moreover, in real time, the ships participating in the protest flotilla were warned repeatedly that a maritime blockade is in effect.
6. Here, it should be noted that under customary law, knowledge of the blockade may be presumed once a blockade has been declared and appropriate notification has been granted, as above.
7. Under international maritime law, when a maritime blockade is in effect, no boats can enter the blockaded area. That includes both civilian and enemy vessels.
8. A state may take action to enforce a blockade. Any vessel that violates or attempts to violate a maritime blockade may be captured or even attacked under international law. The US Commander’s Handbook on the Law of Naval Operations sets forth that a vessel is considered to be in attempt to breach a blockade from the time the vessel leaves its port with the intention of evading the blockade.
9. Here we should note that the protesters indicated their clear intention to violate the blockade by means of written and oral statements. Moreover, the route of these vessels indicated their clear intention to violate the blockade in violation of international law.
10. Given the protesters explicit intention to violate the naval blockade, Israel exercised its right under international law to enforce the blockade. It should be noted that prior to undertaking enforcement measures, explicit warnings were relayed directly to the captains of the vessels, expressing Israel’s intent to exercise its right to enforce the blockade.
11. Israel had attempted to take control of the vessels participating in the flotilla by peaceful means and in an orderly fashion in order to enforce the blockade. Given the large number of vessels participating in the flotilla, an operational decision was made to undertake measures to enforce the blockade a certain distance from the area of the blockade.
12. Israeli personnel attempting to enforce the blockade were met with violence by the protesters and acted in self defense to fend off such attacks.
Enough said !!!
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/fc2b96c8594fafb1f9e66d1ec22ca6e3cb65a7ab75019d35308d7adf7ffafdf7.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9d2cf770ff11d5ad375a94290e173ccef047d148b01aabd4f73faba0dc61985a.png https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b8f1d0ed9863502b84f19f5f0c7554f7038adcca97186963e2a45f5b83892f97.png
This seems more a canned response rather than intelligent debate of the points I raised. To start, I speak of the combined closure (since 2007) and maritime blockade (since 2009) as collective punishment ongoing for 11 years now. You are focused on the Turkish aid flotilla incident of May 31, 2010, more than 8 years ago. The incident led to the Palmer and Turkish investigations into the legality of Israel’s blockade and produced conflicting reports – Palmer report state legal and Turkish report states illegal.
The legal framework was the San Remo Manual which Israel Has adopted regarding its maritime policies including naval blockade. Israel argues it is in full compliance with the manual and therefore blockade is legal and cites the Palmer report. However, I rely on more rigorous analysis in making any such complex determination, for example:
Spelman E. (2013) the Legality of the Israeli Naval Blockade of the Gaza Strip, European Journal of Current Legal Issues 19(1)
In her paper, Spelman examines the 5 criteria for legality of a blockade ad defined in the San Remo Manual and determines that Israel was not compliant with the first article, in contradiction to your post, largely compliant with articles 2, 3 and 4 and a determination of compliance could not be made regarding article 5.
However, Spelman points out as problematic that Israel claims ambiguous language in the Manual when compliance is questionable while at the same time claims there is no ambiguity when compliance seems to have been met. Spelman also points out that the blockade needs to be considered as part of Israel’s total closure of the Gaza and that in fact, Gaza does not have a functioning port so even before blockade, shipping went to an Israeli port to be unloaded and then sent overland to Gaza. Spelman notes that the blockade seemed to be restricting fishing which is a questionable action but there was insufficient information to factor into article 5 compliance. In conclusion, Spelman found article 5 lacked sufficient clarity to make a determination on Israeli compliance with article 5.
Note that the UN came out with a report of the UNHRC in 2015 that determined the blockade to be illegal. Israel savaged the report as heavily biased and anti-Israel. I make no comment on the report or Israeli claims. I want to point out that developments since Spelman’s paper bring into question the legality of the blockade due the extraordinary length of time of the blockade and failure of Israel to define properly the scope and expected duration of the blockade and conditions under which it will be lifted as required by article 5 of the San Remo Manual.
Lastly, Israel has recently been very explicit in restricting fishing which cannot be reasonably argued as serving a legitimate military purpose and this, can be seen as having a primary objective of causing humanitarian hardship as collective punishment in contravention of article 5 of the San Remo Manual. Israel is also threatening to cut off all but medical supplies which also contravenes article 5.
Conclusion, the blockade is illegal due to Israeli non-compliance with articles 1 and 5 of the San Remo Manual conditions for the legality of a naval blockade. Note that the Manual was adopted by Israel to govern her maritime activities.
I will leave it at that without discussing use of phosphorous, cluster munitions in urban areas, targeting civilians and other crimes under a more comprehensive test for legality of the complete closure of the Gaza.
Come on World, we must all do something about this and stop the hooked nosed vermin.
Hold on live….. “UN says Israel are jolly naughty”.
Times of Israel:
Israel reopens Gaza crossing, but Palestinians turn back some trucks
?? Israel sends an average of 800 trucks every day into Gaza.
?? The poverty and oppression of Gazans is directly caused by their brutal Hamas rulers.
Since seizing power 12 years ago Hamas and other terror organizations operating in the territory have fired over 15,000 rockets at Israeli civilians.
?? The Hamas leaders have become immensely rich by robbing their people
?? If not for the blockade, which is completely legitimate in international law, the Hamas would have been importing vast quantities of rockets and other weaponry and the conflict would be 100 times worse.
?? There are many kind-hearted Israelis would like to help the people of Gaza, but ending the blockade and giving them a port would be an act of reckless insanity.
History’s biggest prison riot still ongoing….