Israel Commits War Crimes in Gaza
Israel Commits War Crimes in Gaza
Israel Commits War Crimes in Gaza
Aqsa
Gaza students denied Gaza running out of
the right to education vital supplies
Israel
For Free Distribution N E W S
Commits
War Crimes
in Gaza
The complete closure of the Gaza Strip from the outside world has resulted in a
humanitarian catastrophe which is being ignored by the international community.
Only a few hundred of the 1.5 New born babies Abdallah El-Yazji had the treated in the besieged Gaza an end to this catastrophe
million residents of the strip necessary permits to enter Strip. Many Palestinians with which threatens the health
have been allowed to leave
are at great risk Israel for treatment for a treatable illnesses now face a sector with total collapse. To
since June 2007. The hospitals as hospitals lack suspected brain tumour. He bleak future as Israel continues make matters worse, the Fatah
no longer have vital medicines, lifesaving equipment. was denied passage through to deny passage of goods and government led by Abbas in
food and essentials are in short the border crossing despite people. Many medicines and the West Bank is calling on
supply and over 80% of the Israel has refused to allow 4 attempts. Amir died in a supplies have been prevented all medical professionals to
population are reliant on food many patients to pass the Gaza hospital after losing from reaching Gaza as Israel go on strike in the Gaza Strip.
hand outs. borders, denying them their consciousness. denies they are humanitarian Those who fail to do so are
right to health and as a result necessities. An assertion than having their wages withheld.
Those suffering the greatest between June and the end of Amir’s death came a week many would disagree with. This has resulted in even
are medical patients who are November, 44 patients had after a 6 month old infant deeper animosity from most
in desperate need of treatment died. Most of these deaths was denied entry to Israel The Gaza Ministry of Palestinians towards President
which is only available in were avoidable. for urgent medical treatment, Health has appealed to the Abbas.
neighbouring countries. and died as a result of kidney International Community to
8 year old Amir Shaher failure which could not be take immediate action to put
2
IN BRIEF
Amnesty International reiterates Peace talks at Annapolis The obvious deficiencies with the gathering included
Israel’s obligations
the absence of Hamas, who represent a large portion
In a recent statement, Amnesty International of Palestinian people. President Abbas, who is deeply
reiterated the international law position on unpopular with Palestinians, has been intensely criticized
Israel’s obligations over the Gaza Strip.
Israel, as the occupying power, is prohibited
for attempting to curb what little freedoms the Palestinians
from imposing collective punishment or enjoy under occupation, by banning protests against the
reprisals on the Palestinian population. Annapolis gathering. Despite this, wide protests still
Israel is ultimately responsible for ensuring occurred, although they were violently broken up by
the welfare of the 1.5 million Palestinians Abbas’s security forces.
who live in the Gaza Strip where Israel
controls all the land borders, air space and The agreement reached at Annapolis was for further peace
territorial water. Amnesty confirmed that
Israeli officials’ contention that Israel is
talks to take place over the course of 2008. However,
no longer bound by the laws of occupation many doubt whether anything will be achieved due to
since it redeployed its forces to the perimeter the inconsistency between the words being spoken and
of the Gaza Strip is simply a fallacy. On Tuesday 27 November 2007, the US hosted a the events being played out in the occupied territories.
conference in Annapolis, Maryland, bringing together 8 Palestinians were killed while the conference took
the Israelis and the Palestinians in an effort to begin new place, and the entire Gaza community continued to live
Police in Gaza use excessive force peace negotiations. Over 40 states were present for the under siege. Despite inflicting such deep suffering, Israel
against Arafat rally participants pre-negotiations conference, although the one day affair continued to demand recognition of itself as a racist state
was seen by many as little more than time for delivering to the exclusion of all its non-Jewish citizens.
The Gaza police force have been accused a few speeches and a photo opportunity for unpopular
by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights politicians.
of using excessive force and indiscriminate
gun fire against participants at the third year
anniversary rally following the death of
Manchester University students defy racist anti-Palestinian motion
Yasser Arafat. Many Fatah supporters were
injured in the clashes, and 8 people died. On 14 November 2007, the Manchester Students Union last forms of acceptable racism. If we had been twinned
strengthened its commitment to Palestinian rights to with a black university during apartheid in South Africa
education by voting in favour of twinning with An-Najah and they had been given them the ultimatum asking them
Hamas fighting back ‘like an University (ANU) with almost a two-thirds majority. to condemn gun crime there would have been international
army’ outrage, and rightly so.”
This defied the motion titled ‘Peace Through Education’
As the Israeli Occupation Forces continue to which was proposed in order to undermine the twinning, Manchester Students Union continues to support the
bomb and attack Gaza, killing Palestinians and was opposed by many on the grounds that it was a Palestinian right to education which they believe is clearly
indiscriminately, Hamas is reportedly racist motion stereotyping Palestinians as terrorists and being denied by the Israeli occupation policies which
putting up a strong counter-attack. Hamas
is opposing Israel’s almost daily incursions
accusing ANU of actively supporting terrorism. This include shelling educational establishments, shooting at
into the Gaza Strip in an orchestrated way caused great indignation amongst Manchester’s student students, denying students and teachers passage through
and has inflicted damage including the population. The writers of the motion had also cited an checkpoints, and closures which prevent schools and
destruction of military hardware and the unreliable website as a resource which included many universities from opening. This move was intended
killing of Israeli soldiers. Israeli journalist, inaccuracies and racist quotes. to help break the isolation imposed on the Palestinian
Amos Harel, has reported that the IOF are
no longer facing an untrained guerrilla force
people, and follows moves by many UK universities to
One student who attended the meeting said, “The motion twin with Palestinian universities.
but that Hamas is now better equipped and
trained and “fighting like and army”’ shows that the racism against the Palestinians is one of the
IN BRIEF
Israel openly Most notably, this move demonstrates that Israel will not Palestinian women held prisoner
‘Judaising’ Jerusalem
allow the Palestinians to have East Jerusalem as the capital
Israel continues to detain Palestinian
of any future state if a two state solution is negotiated. In women as political prisoners, and at present,
preparation for this, since 1967, Israel has steadily built approximately 120 women are being detained
a ring of illegal settlements around East Jerusalem, and and treated as criminals. They are subjected
these now totally isolate East Jerusalem from the rest of to regular body searches, sexual harassment,
solitary confinement, being prevented from
the West Bank.
going outside regularly, cell searches and
confiscation of personal belongings and
There are 240,000 Palestinians living in Jerusalem but attacks including the use of tear gas in cells
they endure strict regulations, which control the amount occur regularly.
of land they live on, building policies, the denial of the
right to family re-unification, amongst others. There is also Disabled Palestinians not spared
now a deliberate drive to move extremist Israeli settlers oppressive policies
into Arab neighbourhoods. Reports suggest millions of
3rd December marked UN International
dollars of US money is being poured into settling Jews
Day of Disabled Persons (IDoDP) and this
into Arab neighbourhoods in Jerusalem, most notably the day was used by the Palestinian Centre for
Silwan district. Human Rights to highlight the suffering
The Israeli parliament has granted preliminary approval of Palestine’s disabled citizens. Israel’s
Amongst these extremist settlers are deeply racist elements human rights violations were said to have
of a bill which seeks to permanently incorporate East
who advocate the Old City being free of all non-Jews and caused a deterioration in the conditions of
Jerusalem as part of Israel. the wounded, which has raised the number
the building of the ‘Temple’ on the site of the Al-Aqsa
of disabled Palestinians to high levels. The
This is illegal under international law as the fourth Geneva sanctuary. Thus, while Israeli politicians continue to talk services available to the disabled are abysmal
Convention prohibits a country from annexing any part about a Palestinian state, they are simultaneously acting due to the general poverty which now exists
of the land which they are occupying militarily. United to make that an impossibility. in the occupied territories.
Gaza running out of vital UK to change laws The closure of Gaza has led to a precarious
security situation for its civilians. Gun crimes
are now rife and street violence has increased.
Israel’s Public Security Israel has made it clear Such a situation was widely foreseen by
supplies Minister Avi Dichter that it finds this situation
cancelled a planned visit to ‘intolerable’.
experts due to the strain being put on the
population by the Israeli closure.
1.5 million Palestinians and now costs over 200 the UK over fears that he
would be arrested on war In 2005, an Israeli ex- Iranian Holocaust Drama
in the Gaza Strip are shekels.
crimes charges. British law general Doron Almog who
now suffering from acute Iranian state television is running a drama
Other goods such as allows private citizens to was also involved in the
shortage of basic supplies. series called “Zero Degree Turn” which
building materials are no file complaints for alleged Shehada assassination,
Hospitals are reporting depicts the story of an Iranian who helped
longer available and even war crimes. narrowly avoided arrest in Jews escape Nazism during WWII. It has
zero stock availability
fuel supplies are becoming London. He was warned proved to be a huge hit in Iran, challenging
of paediatric drugs and the view that Iran and anti-Semitism are
scarce. The impact of Dichter was one of the of the impending arrest
antibiotics, as well as indistinguishable.
fuel shortages affect planners behind the 2002 by Israeli Diplomats who
a shortage in chronic
every aspect of life, from assassination of Saleh boarded his plane before Lobby of Parliament Day 2007
disease drugs, cancer
basic cooking; running Shehada, a Hamas military he had disembarked. He
treatment drugs, a range November 29th marked the UN International
of hospitals and schools; leader. Israel dropped a 1 avoided arrest by returning
of kidney dialysis drugs Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people.
purifying, sterilising and tonne bomb on his house to Israel without getting off
and IV glucose solution. Friends of Al-Aqsa worked in conjunction with
pumping water; running killing him, his wife and 3 the plane. numerous Palestine solidarity organisations to
In addition, there are also
shortages of kidney dialysis garbage collection trucks children, his bodyguard and make November 28th a Lobby of Parliament
After the Almog incident,
machine equipment. Thus, and ambulances, and much other civilians including a day in Britain.
Israeli foreign minister
as expected, dozens of more. As fuel becomes further 6 children. This was This was an opportunity for members of the
Tzipi Livni asked British
patients with treatable increasingly scarce, the condemned by the world. public to lobby their MPs on the issue of
judicial authorities to
illnesses have died and price of fuel is shooting Palestine and bring to their attention the facts
Dichter’s visit was called review laws allowing about the occupation policies. The lobby was
will continue to die in the up.
off after the UK government magistrates to issue such intended to change political attitudes and
coming months unless the Gaza’s economy has had been unable to guarantee arrest warrants. This request government policies to make a change for
siege ends. collapsed following the him immunity against was made once again during Palestine.
mass closure of industries private citizens’ complaints Foreign Secreatary David
Overall, according to the The lobby day was also used to putt pressure
including factories in leading to an arrest warrant Millibands recent visit to on MPs to sign up to EDM’s and sign motions
United Nations Office
the wood, clothing, for war crimes. Israel. against the Israeli occupation and to show
for Coordination for their support for peace which recognises the
Humanitarian Affairs in food, construction and
interests of the Palestinians as well as the
the Occupied Palestinian agricultural sectors. More Israelis.
Territories, 91 drugs are than 800,000 Gazan’s,
no longer available in more than half the The lobby day was successful, attracting
population, have lost their around 600 people who had arranged meetings
hospitals. The international with their MPs. This year encouraged the
blockade of Gaza has also jobs and their abilities to youngest ever person to lobby parliament – a
led to shortages in many provide for their families. nine year old boy representing his primary
types of foodstuffs, and This was the direct result of school.
soaring prices for what is border closures which have
available. A bag of flour prevented raw materials
used to cost 80 shekels passing through.
4
achieved if both sides feel international Workshops aimed at school children £3.00 each inc P&P
pressure. While Palestinians face daily between the ages of 5-16 are also an
scrutiny, the actions of Israel have option, in order to educate them on
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Fun & Games Prophet Musa (as) and the Children of Israel
Prophet Musa (as) was commanded by Allah (swt)
to go to the pharaoh in Egypt and tell him about the
signs of Allah (swt) so that he would believe and stop
being a tyrant. When Musa (as) went to the palace,
Pharaoh rejected him and his message. To convince
him, Musa (as) threw down his staff (walking stick) on
the floor and by Allah’s (swt) miracle it turned into a
big snake.
COMPETITION
Win a £20 Argos voucher and a knives ended up cutting
Friends of Al-Aqsa goody bag!!! 14-18 years old??? their fingers in distraction.
3. He was given command of
13 years old or under??? Use the following clues to
the wind by Allah swt, and
was able to talk to animals.
identify names of each
Using the story of Musa (as) 4. He is in Jannah, but his life
Prophet that they refer to.
above and your own knowledge, on this earth is not over yet.
Send us your answers for the
answer the following questions: 5. He is the imam of all the
chance to win!
1. What did Musa (as) do Prophets.
to convince Pharaoh that his 1. He was impatient with his
message was true? people and left them. He Deadline for both
2. Why did the magicians was then punished by Allah competitions:
20 February 2008
believe Musa (as)? (swt) when he went out
3. What was the difference to sea. He was swallowed
Send your answers with your
name, age and address to:
between Musa’s (as) snake and by a big fish. He repented Friends of Al-Aqsa, PO Box
5127, Leicester, LE2 0WU.
the magicians’ snakes? to Allah (swt) while in the Or email us on
Comic strip
7
Children in Palestine
As with most conflict areas around
the world, one of the most vulnera-
ble groups of people in the occupied
territories are children.
Published by Friends of Al-Aqsa, P.O.Box 5127, Leicester, LE2 0WU, Tel 07711 823 524, (0116) 2125441, Email: [email protected], www.aqsa.org.uk