from..http://wakeupfromyourslumber.blogspot.com/

Rachel Corrie (2003)

The most well known death is probably twenty three year old American peace activist Rachel Corrie. Having taken a year off from college, Rachel travelled to Gaza in 2003 where she was working with the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) which is a Palestinian-led organisation "committed to resisting the Israeli Occupation of Palestinian land using non-violent, direct-action methods and principles."

She was protesting against the forcible and illegal demolition of a local Palestinian doctor's family home and stood in the way to block the path of the American made Caterpillar bulldozer. Rachel was wearing a bright fluorescent jacket and had a loud speaker in her hands which she was using to shout out to the bulldozer driver to stop.

Instead of stopping, the Israeli soldier ran her over before reversing back over her fallen, crushed body. Rachel's parents have made it very clear that the Israeli investigation into her death was a complete whitewash and they are still fighting for someone to be held accountable for their daughter's murder.

Tom Hurndall (2004)

Twenty one year old British photography and journalism student Tom Hurndall was killed in 2004. Tom was also an ISM volunteer in Gaza, who was bravely and desperately trying to carry Palestinian children to safety after Israeli troops opened fire. He was shot in the head by an Israeli sniper.

After a two hour delay in getting him to hospital, Tom went into a coma from which he never woke up. Nine months later, he died. Although the sniper, Taysir Hayb (a Bedouin Arab in the Israeli army) was prosecuted, there was no accountability for the upper echelons of the Israeli hierarchy who had apparently allowed a shoot to kill policy of civilians to exist. Tom's father made the comment that "we're concerned that there is a policy... amongst the Israeli soldiers and army, that they feel able to shoot civilians really without any accountability whatsoever." In July 2010, news emerged that Hayb was to be released from prison 2 years early, and would be free by August 2010.

Tom's journals were released by his family after his death, and he had written: "I want to be proud of myself. I want more. I want to look up to myself and when I die, I want to smile because of the things I have done, not cry for the things I haven't done."

Tristan Anderson (2009)

Of those who survived Israeli attacks, many were left permanently disfigured or injured. California born Tristan Anderson was shot in the head by Israeli forces in 2009 with a tear gas canister and sustained permanent brain injury.

Emily Henochowicz (2010)

In one shocking case last month, twenty one year old American student, Emily Henochowicz, had her eye removed after she was shot in the face by an Israeli soldier as she protested against the flotilla attack.

The Freedom Flotilla Massacre (2010)

On May 31st 2010, the world watched in utter disbelief as live video transmissions showed the Mavi Marmara, the main passenger boat in the Freedom Flotilla to Gaza, being attacked by Israeli forces. According to reports, 4 Israeli warships, 3 helicopters, 2 submarines and 30 zodiac boats surrounded the flotilla in the early hours of the morning.
With the use of such large numbers of army personnel and equipment, there could be little doubt that there would be fatalities.

Nine international humanitarian workers were killed as a result of Israel's illegal attack on the ship. Of the nine killed, collectively they all suffered 31 gunshot wounds.

Farrakhan DoganVahri YildizCengiz Okez
Cengiz SunqurNecdet YidirimCetin Topkoogelo
Kovdit KililarAli Heyder BengiIbrahim Bilgen

The Nine Victims from the Flotilla

* Vahri Yildiz, aged 43. He was a fireman and married with four children. He was shot five times.
* Farrakhan Dogan, aged 19. Farrakhan held dual Turkish-US citizenship. He was a student who wanted to become a doctor. He was shot five times at close range, in the right side of his nose, in the back of the head, in the back and twice in the left leg.
* Cengiz Okez, aged 41. He was a father of three. Cengiz was shot four times, in the back of the head, the right side of his face, his back, and in his left leg.
* Cengiz Sunqur, aged 47. He was married with seven children. He was shot in the neck.
* Necdet Yidirim, aged 32. He was married with a three year old daughter. He was shot in the right shoulder and the back.
* Cetin Topkoogelo, aged 54. He was married and his wife was on board the MV Marmara with him. He was shot three times, once in the back of his head, once in his hip and once in his belly.
* Kovdit Kililar, aged 38. He was married with two chidren. He was shot by a single bullet between the eyes when we tried to take photographs of the Israeli attack.
* Ali Heyder Bengi, aged 29. He was married with 4 children. Ali was shot six times.
* Ibrahim Bilgen, aged 61. Ibrahim was a distinguished Turkish politician and was married with six children. He was shot four times, in the right temple, in the right side of his chest, in the back and once in the hip.

While Israel continues to try to excuse itself for these deaths, and refuses to apologise to Turkey or pay compensation to the families of those killed, we see a recurring pattern of behaviour.

Israel's Impunity

Israel is showing the world that it is above the law. Israel refuses to be challenged for anything it does, on pain of death. Israel considers itself to be beyond impunity and experience has taught it that it can attack, maim, kill, imprison and torture civilians and it will not be held to account.

Israel's impunity is the collective fault of the nations of the world who have allowed this state of affairs to prevail and who are now allowing it to happen yet again. Had any other country in the world dared to attack a boat with British and American civilians on board in this way, we would probably be at war with them right now.

Israel Turns its Guns on Internationals

ISRAELI VIOLENCE AGAINST MEDIA PERSONNEL

It is not just humanitarians and peace activists that are under attack. Even those who try to objectively report the facts on the ground become targets themselves. Journalists, for instance, have often found themselves at the end of Israeli guns. There appears to be a deliberate and systematic targeting of media personnel who are reporting on aspects of the Israeli occupation of Palestine. During the Second Intifada, Reporters Without Borders stated that approximately 40 journalists had been shot by Israeli forces using live or rubber bullets.

In some cases, despite being clearly identifiable as press, wearing flak jackets with the word PRESS emblazoned across their chests and even being in the process of live reporting, journalists have been attacked. Israeli soldiers have opened fire on journalists and targeted them with tear gas canisters, rubber bullets, live ammunition and a host of other weaponry.

In March 2010 alone, a minimum of eight journalists were shot by Israeli soldiers in the West Bank and Jerusalem. Organisations such as Reporters Without Borders have called for an end of this type of Israeli criminality and disregard for international norms and standards of behaviour.

In a report published on 1st April 2010, Reporters without borders released a statement in which they said that their organisation "deplores the frequency of press freedom violations by the Israel Defence Forces, which routinely fire on Palestinian journalists."

"The incidents continue with complete impunity." Reporters Without Borders further said, "The IDF soldiers involved are rarely punished and, less still, disowned by the superiors, who endorse the use of violence against media personnel. It is time this stopped."

Journalists and cameramen have also reported being accosted, threatened, beaten, strip-searched, detained at checkpoints and arrested.

James Miller (2003)

Those killed include British cameraman and award winning producer and director James Miller, who was shot in the neck and killed while filming a documentary in Rafah. James was with a colleague waving a white flag when he was targeted. Only one shot was fired by Israeli soldier Captain Hib al-Heib, and it hit James in the neck. The documentary he was working on was about Palestinian children.

The Israeli investigation into the shooting absolved the soldier of responsibility, as expected.

Raffaele Ciriello (2003)

Italian journalist Raffaele Ciriello, a freelance photojournalist working for the Italian daily Corriere della Sera, was shot in the chest six times by an Israeli tank-mounted machine gun in Ramallah.

Raffaele was a veteran journalist and had covered stories in Afghanistan and Kosovo. Following his death, the International Press Institute said the shooting seemed to be "part of a concerted strategy by the Israeli army to control reports on the recent surge in armed hostilities in the region."

For both of these journalists, and many more besides, Israeli ‘investigations' have usually cleared the soldiers of any responsibility, by whitewashing their crime. This impunity will only continue if the international community allows it to.

Source: Aqsa News

posted by gr1m_reaper @ Wednesday, September 22, 2010 0 comments
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
160 killed in Gaza tunnels: Rights groups


Human rights groups say 160 Palestinians have died digging cross-border tunnels between the city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip and Egypt.

Falling standards of living and unprecedented levels of unemployment together with unrelenting poverty have led many young Gazans to risk their lives in tunnels to make a living.

Some of the victims were killed during Israeli bombardments of the tunnels, while others died after inhaling poisonous fumes released inside the tunnels by Egyptian security authorities. Collapse of the tunnels accounts for the remaining mortalities.

"The siege must be lifted immediately," Samir Zaqqout from the al-Mezan Center for Human Rights told a Press TV correspondent on Monday.

"It is a war crime by all definitions and it systematically violates international humanitarian laws," he went on to say.

In June 2007, Egypt and Israel tightened the already existing blockade of the Gaza Strip, allowing only very limited humanitarian aid into the impoverished coastal sliver.

"The siege is still continuing and it is driving so many people, who would normally not do a job that is getting attacked regularly by both planes from Israel and gassing through from Egypt," said Adie Mormech from the International Solidarity Movement.

Referring to the motivation of the victims, Mormech said those working in the tunnels were mostly teenagers and young adults, trying to save up to pay for their education.

After Israel's takeover of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla in international waters on May 31 and the deaths of nine civilians on the aid convoy, Tel Aviv eased the land blockade of Gaza, allowing in more consumer goods.

The naval siege of the enclave, however, remains in place, exports are banned and imports of raw and construction materials are restricted.

"We feel very sorry for the deaths of more than 160 people in the tunnels, but they served the issue of the Palestinians," said Amjad al-Shawwa of the Palestinian NGO Network.

"The main solution for Gaza's problems is to end the siege totally, meaning to open all the crossings for goods and people, and this is not just a need but the right of the Palestinians," he urged.

Source

Experts: Gaza suffering a sharp food shortage

GAZA, (PIC)-- Nutritional and agricultural experts say the Gaza Strip suffers from a food shortage and high unemployment rate, calling for action to revitalize the local market by encouraging domestic agriculture and rural development.

Head of the Dutch mission to the Gaza Strip Jack Twiss said Monday during a workshop staged by the Society for Development and Agricultural Relief in Gaza that many Palestinian farmers have suffered heavy losses that have affected the Gaza Strip’s rural regions, which are the key bastions of its economy.

Twiss said his mission will cooperate with rural organizations in Gaza to kick off two projects designed to improve export crops in the Strip and replenish markets. 45 per cent of the project’s total cost will be to cultivate 300 dunums of flowers for 50 farmers, 350 dunums of strawberries for 80 farmers, and 52 dunums of vegetables for 25 farmers.

Farmers are expected to produce in the final stages of the projects 30 million flowers and 700 tons of fruits and vegetables.

Gaza’s agricultural relief committee director Yousef Shaath said the projects will focus on restoring damaged land, expanding irrigation systems, and establishing home gardens and agricultural paths in those areas.

Shaath said the projects are aimed at providing work for unemployed Gazans and restoring land damaged during repeated digging operations in eastern and northern Gaza Strip by the invading Israeli soldiers.

posted by gr1m_reaper @ Tuesday, September 21, 2010 0 comments
demons continue onslaught against Al-Naqab homes


NEGEV, (PIC)-- Israeli bulldozers backed by police and special forces stormed Tuesday morning two south Negev towns unrecognized by the Israeli government, razing two houses.

Police surrounded and destroyed a home owned by the Arbidi family claiming that it was built without a permit, eyewitnesses said.

Police removed members of the household by force to allow bulldozers to take down their houses before their eyes, witnesses added.

The witnesses went on to say that police arrested a man in wake of his opposition to the demolitions. After destroying the house, the forces left 14 children without shelter at the scene.

The bulldozers also destroyed a house belonging to a 70-year-old woman of the Abu Hadawiya family. The demolition process took time against the 150 sq. meters brick and concrete house in light of heavy security.

In a separate incident, the Israeli Jerusalem municipality issued an order to demolish the home of Palestinian man Ismael Ali Salah in the Beit Safafa neighborhood in southwest Jerusalem.

The 70-sq. meter house was home to 20 people including a 100-year-old man and 92-year-old woman. The family was forced to live in the house, which was previously used to feed poultry and hold livestock, after one of their houses was seized in June by Israeli extremist groups.

Clashes erupted between the Salah family and extremists backed by electric company workers who showed up to extend a new power line to the confiscated home. One Israeli settler was injured during the confrontation.

Local sources said Israeli police later arrested Bakr Ismael Salah and Mahmoud Ali Ibrahim of Jerusalem on charges of assaulting the Israeli settler.

Meanwhile, violent clashes broke out in the vicinity of the south Nablus village of Burin on Tuesday between locals and dozens of Israelis from the Bracha settlement, who headed out with their women and children to steal olives during their season in the village, which is nearby the settlement.

The settlers set out early morning to harvest and steal the olives, when property owners confronted them in defense of their livelihood, eyewitnesses reported.

Israeli settlers assaulted a Jazeera reporter with a stone to the face amid the confrontation.

An Israeli military force stepped in to defend the settlers who then returned to Bracha settlement.

posted by gr1m_reaper @ Tuesday, September 21, 2010 0 comments
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