Israel's 'Free Hand' in Gaza

Olmert says the Israeli military have 'free hand' to hit Gaza, ignoring the Humanitarian concerns of many, including the UN.

The UN's top humanitarian, Sir John Holmes, said yesterday that the deteriorating economic and humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territory was a "political crisis" that needed a "political solution". He spoke as the Israeli prime minister, Ehud Olmert, said the people of Gaza could not live normal lives while Israelis across the border were constantly targeted by rockets.

Speaking in Jerusalem at a gathering of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organisations, Olmert said Israel's military had a "free hand" to hit Gaza militants. "We will reach out for anyone involved in terrorism against Israelis and will not hesitate to attack them," he said. "That applies to everyone, first and foremost Hamas."

Speaking separately at a briefing to journalists, Holmes said: "The problems won't be removed without a political solution." But the under secretary general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, who is on a five-day visit to the region, said that as a humanitarian he had limited control over the UN's key political decision-making body, the security council. "I don't come expecting to work miracles. The situation is extremely difficult, the politics extremely difficult."

More here...
Disengagement and the frontiers of Zionism: a first person account on how Israel filters what should go and shouldn't into Gaza. (Thanks to Erdla from Gorilla's Guides)

Beit Hanoun: Another Palestinian Tragedy

Beit Hanoun means 'The house of the loving'. But because this is Gaza, because this is Palestine and because this is Israel, the house of the loving couldn't repel hate, stupidity, greed, cruelty, moral failure and crime. Children die in this 'house of the loving'.

Complete BBC report on Beit Hanoun

Detailed account from Le Monde (in French)

''The promise to the Israeli voters, attached to the withdrawal from Gaza, was always that after withdrawal we could "hit them hard" without jeopardising the settlers or our soldiers. So here we go. Just like southern Lebanon, which for years was the place for Israel to take vengeance for its frustration, Gaza is now seen by Israel as fair game.''

Jamila Al-Shanti:''Why should we Palestinians have to accept the theft of our land, the ethnic cleansing of our people, incarcerated in forsaken refugee camps, and the denial of our most basic human rights, without protesting and resisting?''

Gideon Levy's latest:

''The contempt for human life starts with the lives of Arabs and ends with the lives of Jews. ''

''The current stage of the moral decline began with the targeted assassinations in the territories. When they began, there was still an argument over their legality and justness. Who remembers that the assassinations were once limited, declaratively at least, to "ticking bombs"? The High Court of Justice, in its cowardice, has evaded taking a stance on this issue for years, despite the petitions on its doorstep. And the assassination project grew and expanded until it reached monstrous proportions. ''

''These futile operations will not stop the Qassams, which are aimed at giving us and the rest of the world a painful reminder of the imprisoned and boycotted Gaza residents' distress, which no one would notice if it were not for the Qassams. The way to fight the Qassams is to stop the boycott, sit down at the negotiating table and reach an accord. Otherwise, we will continue to slide and become immune to their loss of life, and soon to our loss of life as well.''

Arthur Nelsen: ''The lesson Israel is imparting in Gaza is unequivocal: War crimes are fine, so long as you remember to say sorry afterwards.''

Guardian Leader Opinion:''Experience suggests that even if the Beit Hanoun slaughter turns out to have been accidental, and Palestinians were to accept that, it will still be remembered as an Israeli atrocity. Israel's critics acknowledge that it has the right to defend itself - and it can only be by chance that rockets launched from Gaza since the August 2005 withdrawal have caused only damage and injuries and no Israeli fatalities. But Israel's actions, as in Lebanon this summer, have ignored the obligation to act in proportion to the threat, to avoid civilian casualties, and comply with international humanitarian law, which includes the personal responsibility of commanders for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Louise Arbour, the UN human rights commissioner, should formally remind the Israeli government of those principles when she visits Gaza and Jerusalem shortly.''

International reactions.