Global Research

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Since mid-2007, Gazans have been besieged under suffocating/illegal blockade – imposed for political reasons, unrelated to security, as Israel falsely claims.

Its action is one of countless examples of callous indifference to Palestinian lives, rights and welfare, treating them as viciously as Hitler mistreated Jews – slow-motion genocide its option over industrial scale ruthlessness, Gazans harmed most.

The Gisha Legal Center for Freedom of Movement calls Gaza’s closure “politically driven. (D)egradation of its economy and civilian infrastructure, including its hospitals, are not an unforeseen natural disaster.”

It’s “the direct (result) of closure. For Gaza, time does not heal all. It only makes things worse” – its two million population victimized by what Edward Said called “refined (Israeli) viciousness.”

Israeli control of Gaza is absolute – “in the throes of a manmade humanitarian disaster,” B’Tselem explained.

Suffocating conditions made the Strip unlivable for its people – grossly abused, impoverished, suffering under concentration camp conditions, imposed by a vicious occupier, the world community failing to hold it accountable.

Israel’s 2005 Disengagement Plan was subterfuge. Gaza remains occupied, Israel exerting total control over its borders, offshore waters and airspace.

All movement of people and goods in and out of the Strip is totally controlled, Rafah crossing under Egyptian control, most often closed. Cairo and Tel Aviv cooperate in persecuting long-suffering Gazans.

Maintaining separation between Gaza and the West Bank is longstanding Israeli policy – movement between them subject to extremely hard to get permit permission, foreign travel mostly banned.

According to Gisha obtained document through a Freedom of Information petition, Israel imposed a “deliberate reductive policy” on the Strip, mandating minimal caloric intake, barely enough for survival only.

One Israeli official earlier called it putting Gazans on a diet, stopping short of starvation, fostering malnutrition, leaving residents vulnerable to otherwise preventable illnesses and diseases.

Years of blockade took a terrible toll on Gaza’s healthcare system – near collapse for lack of equipment in good working order, shortages of everything including essential drugs, limited power availability, and harsh restrictions on travel outside the Strip for medical treatment not available internally.

Adequate care for the seriously wounded and ill is virtually impossible to get for most Gazans, doctors severely limited in what they’re able to do. Badly wounded limbs are lost to amputations for lack of other options.

Gaza’s economy is in a state of collapse, 80% of its residents dependent on inadequate amounts of humanitarian aid. Food insecurity affects most Gazans.

Nearly all Strip water is contaminated and unpotable. Residents able to afford it buy expensive desalinated water – much of it contaminated. Electricity is available only a few hours daily.

Hospitals rely on generators, forced to offer limited services for shortages of everything. Sewage treatment facilities can’t operate properly, partially and untreated sewage pumped into offshore waters, turning them into a toxic stew.

Blockade prevents adequate construction for lack of enough building materials. Most everything Israel considers possibly “dual use” is hard or impossible to get.

Tens of thousands remain homeless because of three preemptive Israeli wars of aggression since December 2008.

Israel’s buffer zone along its border put vital farmland off-limits. Live fire policy endangers anyone entering or near the zone.

Israel is unaccountable for high crimes throughout the Territories too egregious to ignore, ruthlessness harming Gazans most of all.

On Friday, a Kuwait-drafted Security Council resolution to be voted on calls for protecting Gazans from Israeli high crimes, citing “excessive use of force” against (peaceful) demonstrators by IDF soldiers.

Washington intends vetoing it. Neocon extremist US UN envoy Nikki Haley falsely called it “grossly one-sided…only serv(ing) to undermine ongoing efforts toward peace” – bald-faced lies!

The US and Israel deplore peace and stability, waging endless undeclared wars of aggression, civilians in affected theaters harmed most – Gazans viciously abused for 11 years under suffocating blockade conditions.

According to PA UN envoy Riyad Mansour, Washington intends vetoing the Kuwaiti draft resolution unless it’s unacceptably amended.

Instead of even minimal Israeli accountability for horrendous high crimes, the Trump regime wants pro-Western UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to submit undefined “recommendations” on Gaza within 60 days.

As long as Israel has firm US support, it’ll remain unaccountable for the highest of high crimes too serious to ignore.

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Stephen Lendman is a Research Associate of the CRG, Correspondent of Global Research based in Chicago.