UN humanitarian chief warns of disaster if Gaza siege continues
John Holmes calls on Israel, Egypt to end Gaza blockade, says siege doesn't weaken Hamas.
By The Associated Press Tags: Hamas UN Israel news GazaThe United Nations humanitarian chief warned Thursday of an impending humanitarian disaster if Egypt succeeds in blocking the tunnels that pass under it's border into the Gaza Strip.
John Holmes said that as bad as the hundreds of tunnels that bypass the Israeli blockade are, Gaza would have difficulty surviving if Egypt succeeds in blocking them because they are a conduit for badly-needed food, medicine and commercial goods.
He repeated calls for Israel to end its blockade of the Palestinian territory.
"If those tunnels were blocked, however undesirable they may be, and however undesirable the effect they're having on the Gazan society and Gazan economy, the situation without the tunnels would be completely unsustainable," said Holmes, who visited the region for four days earlier this month.
The tunnels are also widely believed to be used for smuggling cash and weapons to Hamas, which wrested control of Gaza from the Palestinian Authority in 2005 and refuses to recognize Israel. The Israeli government has repeatedly tried to shut the tunnels down.
Egypt has a fence along Gaza's southern border and is reinforcing the area with underground metal plates to try to block the tunnels. Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak has defended the move as necessary for his nation's security following a series of terrorist attacks on nearby tourist resorts.
Holmes said it was very frustrating to see that there has been almost no rebuilding in Gaza, as a result of the Israeli blockade, since the three-week conflict that ended in Jan. 2009, leaving 13 Israelis and almost 1,400 Palestinians dead.
"What people in Gaza want to see is the opening of the crossings ... not only for goods but for people because they are living ... in a large open-air prison," Holmes said.
Holmes said the blockade is not helping Israel's security or weakening Hamas' hold on the Palestinian territory.
"The blockade of Gaza does not serve any purpose in my view in security terms for Israel because anything can come in through those tunnels at the moment, nor is it weakening the hold of Hamas on Gaza," he said. "That's perfectly clear when you're there."
Israel has linked the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who was captured by Palestinian militants in 2006 and is being held by Hamas, to the blockade, saying it will not consider easing the embargo until Shalit is home. Holmes said the United Nations has called for the release of Shalit and urged that he be treated in accordance with the Geneva conventions.
"But the link between that and the fate of the 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza does not seem to us a reasonable one," he said
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Respecting borders?! The gentleman in Barcelona needs to be reminded that Israel INITIATED terrorism with such groups as the Irgun terrorist organization. And, apart from occupying Palestine, constantly invades and occupies countries such as Lebanon. He also fails to note that to this day Israel has NEVER stated exactly what/where it's borders are, and continues not to. Why should Hamas recognize a country who refuses to state where its borders are? And as far as Egypt building a wall, two wrongs don't make a right. The UN has declared the Israel wall illegal...
REgardless what is transfered in tunnels the Un says its ok. Let their families live in area that rockets land. UN is a big joke
QUIT blameing it on Egypt and Israel as you know the TRUTH but just love all the attention and money that this dilema brings for this union abomination of fair play. The United Nations is the most descrimination union the World has ever seen
There will be a humanitarian disaster when Israel stops the blockade, the humanitarian disaster in Gaza has other solutions then stopping the blockade.Hamas is the disaster
Israel, Egypt and the US couldn't care less. maybe when the disaster occurs, the US will respond, but not until. The disaster is planned and Hamas is cooperating with Likud and Kadima and Mubarak. They care about power. Likud and Kadima didn't do the siege for Hamas; it started when Abbas was still in power in Gaza. It has nothing to do with Hamas of Gilad Shalit or anything other than power. Hamas and Likud and Kadima are all motivated by the same thing. And none want to give it up for any reason, in any way, shape or form.
It's all Israel's and Egypt's falt, right? I mean they just like to inflict pain on the citizen's of Gaza. Come on Holmes, every time Israel opened the border crossings they were bombed because Hamas does not think there should be a border with a country they say should not exist. Egyption border guards and official have been killed by Gazan's militants. Egypt and Israel have every right to defend their borders and expect orderly flow of goods just like any other country. When Hamas can change their attitude and policies, holding their own people hostage there will be no normality.