Mutasem Billah Abu-Mastfa was born in Gaza. Though he is just nine months old, his parents are already trying to get him out of the Strip. Abu-Mastfa was born with severe congenital heart defects — his heart, riddled with holes, is on the right side of his chest. Due to the ongoing Israeli blockade the medical system in Gaza — short on supplies, its staff unable to leave the Strip to obtain further training — the hospital caring for Abu-Mustafa is unable to cope with such a complicated case. Mya Guarnieri reports for The Electronic Intifada. Read more about Israel tightens the noose on advocacy organizations
GAZACITY, occupied Gaza Strip (IPS) - In the Rimal shopping area of Gaza City, a growing number of Palestinians have resorted to begging. Among them are widows trying to provide for their children, and children themselves begging to contribute to family income. An increasing presence of children selling one-shekel items dominates most Gaza City streets. The children, as young as seven or eight years old, spend their days enticing pedestrians or drivers at stoplights to buy their trinkets. Read more about Few work opportunities under siege in Gaza
UNITEDNATIONS (IPS) - A four-member United Nations fact-finding mission, which has just concluded an investigation into last year’s brutal conflict in Gaza, makes a strong case for war crimes charges against Israel for its unrelenting 22-day military attacks on Palestinians, largely civilians, including women and children. The charges stem mostly from serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law. Read more about UN investigators make strong case for Gaza war crimes
Israeli peace activists are planning to ratchet up their campaign against groups in the United States that raise money for settlers by highlighting how tax exemptions are helping to fund the expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank. Gush Shalom, a small peace group that advocates Israel’s withdrawal from the occupied territories, is preparing to send details to the US tax authorities questioning the charitable status of several organizations. Read more about Settlements benefitting from US tax exempt fundraising
WASHINGTON (IPS) - This week, two respected human rights organizations — one Palestinian, one Israeli — each came out with very full reports into the extent of the damage caused by the assault Israel waged against Gaza last winter. According to PCHR 1,419 Palestinians were killed during the fighting, of whom 252 were combatants and the rest noncombatants. Three hundred and eighteen of those killed were, it said, children. Read more about Gaza's conflicting casualty counts
Yunis al-Masri was severely injured in a car wreck as he and his brothers traveled to work in Israel 24 years ago. He is entitled to a monthly allowance of $800 from Israel’s National Insurance Institute, out of which he has supported his wife and 10 children in their home in Gaza. In early January, however, the transfers of disability benefits stopped arriving in his bank account in Gaza. About 700 other injured workers are in the same situation. Jonathan Cook reports. Read more about Gaza's disabled cut off from payments
On 31 August, Israeli gunboats shot at and shelled the fishing trawler of Khaled al-Habil, destroying it completely and leaving the boat’s 18 fishermen and their families without a source of income. One week earlier, on 24 August, Israeli soldiers along Gaza’s northern border shot dead a young farm worker, Said al-Hussumi. Sixteen-year-old al-Hussumi was killed while working on land a few hundred meters from the border with his cousin Masoud Tanboura, who was seriously wounded. Eva Bartlett reports for The Electronic Intifada. Read more about Israel targeting fishermen, farmers in Gaza
The increasingly harsh political climate in Israel under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government has prompted the leadership of the country’s 1.3 million Arab citizens to call for the first general strike in several years. Jonathan Cook reports. Read more about Racist measures against Palestinians in Israel lead to strike call
Jerrold Kessel and Pierre Klochendler8 September 2009
OCCUPIEDEASTJERUSALEM (IPS) - In the early morning sunlight, the smoky window of the plush new apartment reflects back a golden tinge from the Dome of the Rock that stands at the heart of Islam’s third holiest shrine. Down across the valley from the walled Old City, families have already started moving into some of the 91 apartments in this new 240-family compound of Jewish settlers. Read more about Palestinians in limbo in occupied East Jerusalem
GAZACITY, occupied Gaza Strip (IPS) - Until last Monday, Omar and Khaled al-Habil were the owners of a 20 meter fishing trawler staffed by five or six fishermen at a time, but employing around 18 in cycles. But that morning the vessel came under heavy Israeli navy machine-gun fire, and then shelling. The trawler caught fire. “It’s destroyed, completely destroyed,” says al-Habil. Read more about Israel destroys Gaza boats and lives
