New Gisha report released - Red Lines Crossed: Destruction of Gaza’s Infrastructure

[Scurrilous]

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This new report from the Israeli organisation Gisha, the legal centre for freedom of movement, describes how Israel deliberately brought Gaza’s humanitarian infrastructure to the brink of collapse in advance of Operation Cast Lead via its policy of closure and limitations on the entrance of inputs for the water, sewage and electricity systems.

"Gisha’s news release, 12 August 2009, states:

During the offensive, bombing of infrastructure and shortages in critical resources caused these vital systems to collapse just when they were needed most – disconnecting water supply for half a million people, cutting central power supply for hospitals and di! sconnecting a million people from the electricity needed to pump water, remove sewage and heat homes. Since then, and despite international concern and scrutiny, rehabilitation efforts remain hampered by Israel’s continued refusal to allow passage of items needed for repairs and maintenance and by continued restrictions on supply of industrial diesel funded by the EU for Gaza’s power plant. The report details the repercussions on the lives of residents of the Strip, analyzes Israel’s legal responsibility, and addresses the approval granted to the State’s actions by the Israeli High Court of Justice.

In this context, we are particularly troubled by the State’s recent claim that there is no need for international investigations into Israel’s activities in Gaza because, inter alia, the Israeli High Court of Justice actively reviews these activities and would intervene where necessary. Since late 2007, Gisha has filed three petitions in Israel’s High Court of Justice challenging the deliberate weakening of Gaza’s critical humanitarian infrastructure by restricting supplies to a “humanitarian minimum,” calculated by military officials based on the number and type of humanitarian structures operating in Gaza in 2005. While the legal source of that “minimum” has never been revealed, the threshold of Israel’s obligations to provide for the needs of Palestinian civilians in Gaza has been repeatedly lowered, substantially impacting every aspect of their daily lives and leading to a dangerous and worrisome erosion of their rights.

At each stage, the High Court of Justice approved the supply cuts, under circumstances that raise questions about the ability or willingness of the Court to conduct meaningful judicial review of the activities of the military in the Occupied Territory in general, and in the Gaza Strip in particular."

more


Full report at link:

Israel Weakening Gaza Infrastructure ahead of Next War

http://www.gisha.org/UserFiles/File/publications_/PR_infrastructure_report_Eng_Aug09-online_version.pdf


Meanwhile...

Swimming in Gaza sewage

http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=33657

Israeli blockade affects Gaza sewage pumping stations, Gazans run away from scorching heat to pollution.

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"Less than 50m from a black, barrel-sized pipe pouring raw sewage directly into the sea, children are playing in the waves.

The pipe runs from one of three main sewage pumping stations in Gaza, with multiple outlets into the sea. The water authority in the Gaza Strip has been unable to import the parts necessary for the maintenance and repairs at water and sewage pumping stations since Israel imposed its two-year long blockade of the territory, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Gaza.

“We know there is sewage in the water, but the borders are closed and we can’t travel,” said Mariam Al-Halu, who brought her two sons to swim. With scorching temperatures and intermittent electricity, many Gazans seek refuge from the heat in the polluted waters, residents say.

According to a July 2009 report (not available online) on the quality of Gaza’s seawater by the World Health Organization (WHO), seawater samples collected monthly from April to June by the public health laboratory in Gaza were polluted with faecal bacteria, specifically coliforms and streptococcus.

Seventy-one seawater samples collected from 25 points on Gaza beach showed that seven points were polluted, according to the WHO report.

WHO warns that a safe distance to swim from the sewage discharge is a least 2,000m. By swimming just 50m away from a sewage discharge point, the al-Halu brothers were exposing themselves to serious risks.

These range from minor intestinal and infectious diseases to more severe and potentially life-threatening diseases such as hepatitis and meningitis, although the risk of a cholera outbreak is minimal, WHO said.

WHO and the Gaza health authorities launched a public awareness campaign in May at the start of the summer season, warning swimmers and fishermen of the raw sewage discharges and the potential dangers.

However, many beachgoers and fishermen have not taken heed of the potential hazards, despite the signs placed in seven areas along the Gaza Strip’s 42km-long coastline."