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President Bush : AWOL (Again) in Gaza

Eugene Bird 8 July 2006


The Bush Administration has been A.W.O.L. when it comes to being an effective peacemaker between 4 million Palestinians and 6 million Israelis. Having locked itself into the untenable position of rejecting the results of the Hamas election six months ago in Palestine, the administration and Israel now find themselves facing a full-scale insurgency. Both countries have only a military solution. Several times in the past five years spokespersons for the administration have said that there is no military solution to the confrontation between Israel and Palestine. 

Mohammad Az Zanoun and the Spirit of Nonviolent Resistance

Nigel Parry 8 July 2006


The Electronic Intifada’s coverage of “Operation Summer Rain” — the code name for Israel’s massive destruction of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure — continues. EI is currently being updated several times daily from around the world. During the Gaza invasion, we are using all of our site’s five multimedia panels to point to the special BY TOPIC section of Key Events, “Israel invades Gaza (27 June 2006)”, and to showcase some of the incredible photographs from on the ground put out by the Ma’an News Agency. EI was saddened to learn this morning of the serious injury of 20-year-old Ma’an photographer Mohammad Az Zanoun in Gaza. 

Ma'an news agency Gaza photographer shot and seriously injured

8 July 2006


Young photographer Mohammad Az Zamoun was seriously shot and injured by shrapnel from Israeli projectiles. One hit his mouth and teeth and cut his finger. The other hit him on his body. In spite of that, he continued to work, strangely insistent. Then the Israeli soldiers aimed their weapons directly at him and shot him in the stomach. He fell instantly to the ground with his camera. Eyewitnesses said that he fell to the ground shouting, “Where is the camera? There are many photos in it which are witness to the killing of Palestinians; there are many photos of the Palestinians who have been killed.” 

IOF Offensive Continues in the Gaza Strip: Eleven More Palestinians Killed; Civilian Property Destroyed; Medical and Media Crews Attacked

8 July 2006


According to investigations conducted by PCHR, on Friday, 7 July 2006, IOF continued their wide scale incursion into the northern Gaza Strip for the second consecutive day. They moved into the north east of Beit Hanoun and razed large areas of Palestinian agricultural land. They also moved into the north of Beit Lahia, occupying the al-Salateen, al-‘Atatra and al-Israa’ neighborhoods. Moreover, IOF continued to shell civilian populated areas and seized control of dozens of houses, forcing hundreds of Palestinian civilians to leave their homes. PCHR’s field worker in the northern Gaza Strip reported that IOF detained at least 5000 people and endangered their lives by using them as human shields. 

Gaza Strip Situation Report No. 5

6 July 2006


In the last 24 hours (since 10pm on 5 July), at least 15 Palestinians have been killed and 66 injured in the Gaza Strip. The majority of these Palestinians have been killed and injured in confrontations with the IDF in Palestinian towns and villages, including Khan Younis in the south and Beit Lahia in the north. In Beit Lahia, one Israel Defence Forces (IDF) soldier was killed and another injured and airlifted on Thursday. During the last 24 hours, the IDF expanded their military incursion into the Gaza Strip. The IDF moved additional troops and armour into the former northern settlement block. 

Are Israeli lives worth more than Palestinian?

7 July 2006


Arab Media Watch expresses its concern at the amount of coverage given to Israel’s killing yesterday of almost two dozen Palestinians, including civilians, compared with the kidnapping of an Israeli soldier on 25 June, as well as the continued portrayal of the current crisis as being triggered by the kidnapping. The Mail devoted 4 times as many words to the kidnapping (661, compared with 167), the Sun devoted just 79 words to the killings (105 for the kidnapping), and the Guardian devoted more than twice as many words to the kidnapping. Furthermore, the media is continuing to portray the current crisis as being triggered by the kidnapping, which is not the case. 

Bloody Day of Violence: 24 Palestinians killed by Israeli Occupation Forces in the Gaza Strip and 2 killed in the West Bank, 115 others injured

7 July 2006


PCHR’s preliminary investigation indicates that the past day has witnessed an IOF escalation unprecedented since the implementation of the disengagement plan nearly ten months ago. A total of twenty-six Palestinians were killed over a period of twenty-six hours: twenty-four in the Gaza Strip and two in the West Bank. This brings the number of Palestinians killed to thirty-six, since the capturing of the Israeli soldier on 25 June 2006. In addition, one hundred and fifteen Palestinians have been injured, most of them civilians. 

Beware of Democracy

Rifat Odeh Kassis 6 July 2006


When elections were imposed on the Palestinian people, while still under occupation, we questioned and suspected the whole process. We wondered how a free election could be conducted while the whole nation lives under a military occupation, especially in light of the undeniable correlation between freedom and democracy, as stated on the US Department of State’s website: “Freedom and democracy are often used interchangeably, but the two are not synonymous. Democracy is indeed a set of ideas and principles about freedom, but it also consists of a set of practices and procedures that have been molded through a long, often tortuous history. In short, democracy is the institutionalisation of freedom”. 

High street companies accused of complicity in Israeli war crimes

6 July 2006


High street names such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Connex and Caterpillar are implicated in Israel’s war crimes against the Palestinian people, according to a new report on corporate complicity in the Occupation of Palestine from campaigns group War on Want. The report, Profiting from the Occupation, details the extent of the humanitarian crisis currently facing Palestinians as a result of Israel’s intensified operations against them, and examines the role which companies have played in supporting the Occupation. Corporations such as Connex, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Caterpillar, Volvo, and Daewoo are involved in business practices that help to sustain occupation. 

Profiting from the Occupation: The corporate interests fuelling conflict in Palestine

Nick Dearden 6 July 2006


We hear little from the Palestinian Occupied Territories other than endless death, destruction, poverty and despair. While living standards plummet and the death toll rockets, it’s difficult to imagine a less likely place to make a profit. But despite the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding, and the international attention it receives, names familiar on high streets across Europe and the US are actively supporting Israel’s Occupation of Palestine through their business practices – threatening to prolong the misery of the Palestinian people for many years to come.