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Palestinian women protesting this week against Israeli operations in the Gaza Strip. (AP)
Last update - 17:02 06/03/2008
Study: Gaza humanitarian situation worst since 1967
By The Associated Press
Tags: British aid groups 

A coalition of eight British-based human rights organizations on Thursday released a scathing report in claiming that the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is at its worst point since Israel captured the territory in 1967.

The report said that more than 1.1 million people, about 80 percent of Gaza's residents, are now dependent on food aid, as opposed to 63 percent in 2006, unemployment is close to 40 percent and close to 70 percent of the 110,000 workers employed in the private sector have lost their jobs.

It also said that hospitals are suffering from power cuts of up to 12 hours a day, and the water and sewage systems were close to collapse, with 40-50 million liters of sewage pouring into the sea daily.
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The report follows strident international condemnation of Israel after it struck hard against Palestinian militants in Gaza, killing more than 120 in the past week, including many civilians, after Palestinians militants escalated their daily rocket fire at Israel.

The rockets have killed 13 people, wounded dozens more, traumatized thousands and caused millions of dollars in damage. Last week longer-range rockets reached Ashkelon, a city of 120,000 people, about 17 kilometers north of Gaza, prompting the harsh Israeli response.

The Defense Ministry rejected the report, blaming the militant Hamas rulers of Gaza for the hardships.

"Israel has the right and obligation to protect its citizens, but as the occupying power in Gaza it also has a legal duty to ensure that Gazans have access to food, clean water, electricity and medical care," said Amnesty International U.K. Director Kate Allen, one of groups behind the report. "Punishing the entire Gazan population by denying them these basic human rights is utterly indefensible. The current situation is man-made and must be reversed."

The Foreign Ministry issued a report denying Israeli culpability in the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, saying human rights groups "should point their criticism towards the Hamas terrorist organization that controls the Gaza Strip, and not against the State of Israel."

The 16-page report - sponsored by Amnesty, along with CARE International U.K., CAFOD, Christian Aid, Medecins du Monde UK, Oxfam, Save the Children U.K. and Trocaire - calls on the British government to exert greater pressure on Israel and to reverse its policy on not negotiating with Gaza's Hamas rulers.

Israel and the West shun Hamas and label it a terrorist organization. Hamas does not accept the presence of a Jewish state in an Islamic Middle East and has sent dozens of suicide bombers into Israel, most recently a month ago.

The report adds that it considers Israel's blockade of Gaza as unacceptable and illegal collective punishment.

Replying to the report, the Defense Ministry said it was misdirected.

"The main responsibility for events in Gaza - since the withdrawal of Israel from the territory and the uprooting of the settlements there - is the Hamas organization, to which all complaints should be addressed, read a statement a spokesman," Maj. Peter Lerner.

This week NGO Monitor, a Jerusalem-based watchdog, called on human rights groups to end what it called their political use of international law. It cited an Amnesty International press release that it said made unsubstantiated accusations that Israeli responses are being carried out with reckless disregard for civilian life.

"NGOs and human rights groups must end their irresponsible and immoral use of legal rhetoric," said Gerald Steinberg, Executive Director of NGO Monitor. "False claims of disproportionate force and collective punishment by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch make a mockery of international law."



Related articles:
  • Peace talks with PA likely to resume Thursday
  • Arab League condemns IDF Gaza operation as 'crime against humanity'
  • Palestinians: Top Jihad man, infant killed in IDF raid in southern Gaza
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      1.   and Blame Game Prize goes to..You guessed right British "Rights"! 03:15  |  Genuine Toseftat 06/03/08
      2.   situation in gaza 04:18  |  colin 06/03/08
      3.   Tosefta and nothing about more than 200 killed in Hamas/Fatah fig 04:40  |  Abdul 06/03/08
      4.   "Occupied", here`s what the UN actually had to say 08:15  |  Danny 06/03/08
      5.   re:abdul 08:17  |  housam 06/03/08
      6.   Interesting use of stats 08:22  |  Danny 06/03/08
      7.   Hamass is to blame, PERIOD ! 08:25  |  Aaron 06/03/08
      8.   To #1, Thank u 08:26  |  Massoud Levy 06/03/08
      9.   "Israel Has a Right to Defend Itself But" - Morally Bankrupt 08:29  |  Tod Zuckerman 06/03/08
      10.   Amnesty is absolutely right .... 08:39  |  Dutch 06/03/08
      11.   The statistics on the dead in Gaza/Israel 08:50  |  Mark 06/03/08
      12.   The shameful Gerald Steinberg & his false claims & twisted truth 08:58  |  Dutch 06/03/08
      13.   blame Hamas for every Palestinian born 09:12  |  Leona 06/03/08
      14.   I just viewed Amnesty`s site--disgusting. 09:25  |  frank geros 06/03/08
      15.   In 1999, The Philistines Had A Budget SURPLUS 09:27  |  Yishai Kohen 06/03/08
      16.   What`s the motive? 09:27  |  Paul 06/03/08
      17.   Deja vu in Gaza... 09:44  |  Esther 06/03/08
      18.   The Palestinians can only blame themselves for their plight 09:44  |  Moti 06/03/08
      19.   OH, GOD, FORGIVE US 09:45  |  indrajaya 06/03/08
      20.   # 4 Danny 09:53  |  Nick Ferriman 06/03/08
      21.   Mr Steinberg 09:54  |  Nick Ferriman 06/03/08
      22.   Re Yishai #15 09:55  |  Esther 06/03/08
      23.   Blame Game 09:59  |  pal 06/03/08
      24.   Germans subjected to cruel and disproportionate punishment by the 10:13  |  Absolute Sweden 06/03/08
      25.   the real culprit OVER POPULATION 10:28  |  v hardman 06/03/08
      26.   to tosefta no 1 10:28  |  Tina 06/03/08
      27.   That picture convinces me, Hamas are frightening 10:38  |  x-ray 06/03/08
      28.   Israel: Think out of the box! 10:39  |  Diana 06/03/08
      29.   Why since 1967 and not since 1977? Even 1980? 10:41  |  S 06/03/08
      30.   UN statement: occupied or not occupied? Thank you Danny 10:44  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 06/03/08
      31.   Stop the Holocaust in Gaza. 10:46  |  Dav 06/03/08
      32.   Mark 10:47  |  x-ray 06/03/08
      33.   Yes Dutch - here is the truth 12:33  |  Joe Sittizen 06/03/08
      34.   They have to thank 12:39  |  KUTW 06/03/08
      35.   "Worst humanitarian crisis" - the OTHER statistics (last try) 12:40  |  CK Tan 06/03/08
      36.   Whose Fault is it? 12:50  |  Dagma 06/03/08
      37.   Holocaust 12:54  |  Manuel 06/03/08
      38.   Stop the Terror from Gaza ...... 12:58  |  Dagma 06/03/08
      39.   Marl #11 - good statistics - unfourtunate so many israelis hurt 13:01  |  Johnny 06/03/08
      40.   Oh God, forgive them 13:04  |  Manuel 06/03/08
      41.   Israels moral bancrupcy.... 13:06  |  Joe W 06/03/08
      42.   # 14 Frank Geros. Empty rhetoric. 13:08  |  Nick Ferriman 06/03/08
      43.   "Worst humanitarian crisis" - the OTHER news (last try) 13:11  |  CK Tan 06/03/08
      44.   to dense dav - Stop your Hollow Calls for Gaza. 13:12  |  CK Tan 06/03/08
      45.   The Gaza humanitarian situation is not any worse than the way 13:12  |  Avihu 06/03/08
      46.   FERRIMAN When Pals commit acts of war expect curfews 13:14  |  PETER SM 06/03/08
      47.   #19 indrajaya - God FORGIVE him for his CROCODILE tears 13:15  |  CK Tan 06/03/08
      48.   # 22 Esther " Are You Willing To Explain Your Propaganda " 13:19  |  Joseph . E 06/03/08
      49.   Gaza 13:23  |  A. J. Myers 06/03/08
      50.   # 22 Esther " Are You Willing To Forfeit Your Rights And 13:25  |  Joseph . E 06/03/08
      51.   #30 the south african queen defending apartheid 13:33  |  Labhras 06/03/08
      52.   Does israel want peace? 13:34  |  Omar 06/03/08
      53.   @23, pal it is called siege and is totally legal 13:34  |  vladimir 06/03/08
      54.   The Rogue State and it,s criminal supporters 13:37  |  Labhras 06/03/08
      55.   #15 kohen the illeagl squatter shows his racist 13:40  |  Labhras 06/03/08
      56.   Awake at last 13:56  |  Mark Lincoln 06/03/08
      57.   Another Official Israeli Liar 13:59  |  Clickfool 06/03/08
      58.   # 19 Indy...God forgive us 14:05  |  Lynn 06/03/08
      59.   Since 1967 .... and before 14:09  |  Conil 06/03/08
      60.   # 31 Dav....... there is no holocaust in Gaza 14:10  |  Lynn 06/03/08
      61.   Re Joseph #47 14:28  |  Esther 06/03/08
      62.   #30 Margie, Very good info about the UN 14:28  |  Rick and TC 06/03/08
      63.   Amnesty International Goes Off The Rails 14:29  |  Jeff Northridge 06/03/08
      64.   HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANISATIONS ARE TO BLAME, OF COURSE!! 14:29  |  Yaakov Sullivan 06/03/08
      65.   Israel`s Propaganda Goes Like This 14:36  |  Yaakov Syullivan 06/03/08
      66.   Labhras: There Is ONE G-d And He Is Punishing The Thieving Arabs 14:39  |  Yishai Kohen 06/03/08
      67.   Let them eat Qassams 14:39  |  AA 06/03/08
      68.   # 52 Omar of Cairo....on peace 14:54  |  Lynn 06/03/08
      69.   Ferriman 20 14:55  |  ChanahS 06/03/08
      70.   Avihu 45, if you hope that people like Sullivan and Lahhras 14:55  |  Fawaz 06/03/08