Scenes from the ‘new Nakba’

by on January 20, 2009 3
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Do not be confused by the ceasefire, the siege of Gaza continues. From the Israeli human rights organization Gisha (emphasis their's):

On "the day after" the fighting in Gaza, the magnitude of the death and destruction continues to come to light. Bodies are still being pulled out of the wreckage, bringing the death toll to well over 1,300, and hundreds of thousands of people are contending with water, sewage, and health systems that are in a state of collapse.

Despite the wreckage that is still being uncovered these very days, the Israeli Supreme Court last night rejected two petitions submitted by human right organizations in Israel, demanding the evacuation of wounded from the Gaza Strip and the supply of electricity to Gaza's humanitarian infrastructure, especially the health, water and sewage systems. The court rejected the petitions without even waiting for the explanations the State was supposed to submit today, in response to claims by the human rights groups that Israel was not permitting evacuation of those injured in the Gaza Strip.

This warning dovetails with rumors are spreading across the Internet that Israel and Egypt are preparing for a massive influx of Palestinian refugees through the Rafah border crossing. The IMEMC reports:

According to Professor As'ad AbuKhalil, author of the 'Angry Arab' blog, fellow blogger Ahdaf Souif in (Egyptian) Rafah told him, "Outside the general Hospital in Egyptian Rafah a city of tents has sprung up. I counted 200. But the soldiers there told me they have many more and can set them up immediately. They said the beds and furnishings for all the camps are ready. I was also told that other camps are being set up, in el-Arish and other locations. I was told these camps were being set up for 'the Palestinian refugees.'”


The  article continues:

Souif reported that he asked the Egyptian soldiers about the tents, and was told they were for Palestinian refugees who were expected to be coming through the Rafah border crossing when it opened. The Israeli government has been pressuring Egypt to open the Rafah crossing, while continuing to keep all other borders of Gaza completely sealed.

Palestinians in Gaza, many of whom are the children or grandchildren refugees from what is now Israel, who were forced out when Israel was created in 1948 on Palestinian land, may be hesitant to move to what are currently temporary shelters in Egypt, but could end up becoming refugee camps – as the Gaza Strip became for 1948 refugees.

But faced with a severe shortage of all essential items, the inability to rebuild homes flattened by Israeli forces due to the Israeli economic blockade preventing the entry of building materials and tools, many Gazans may not have much choice.

Coincidence? Who knows. Is Israel's strategy to make life intolerable inside Gaza and open one door out?

Before the war in Gaza 40% of Gazans were already saying they would leave if given the chance. That number can only have risen after three weeks of incredible destruction with no sign of meaningful relief.  My main question about this possibility is why would Egypt do this? I would think Egypt would want to prevent taking on more refugees. This may be a naive question, but I don't get it. (Adam Horowitz)

About Adam Horowitz

Adam Horowitz is Co-Editor of Mondoweiss.net.
Posted in Gaza, Israel/Palestine, Nakba

{ 3 comments... read them below or add one }

  1. Craig says:
    January 20, 2009 at 3:38 pm

    Is Israel's strategy to make life intolerable inside Gaza and open one door out?

    You have to ask? Obviously that's what they're doing. If you make life miserable enough in the Palestinian territories that everyone moves to one of the surrounding Arab states, then there's no obstacle to an expansion of Israel to include all of Palestine. After that, you can look for Israel to make life insufferable (in subtler ways than bombing) for its own Arab citizens so as to encourage them to emigrate, thus reducing the threat of a future Arab majority.

  2. morris says:
    January 20, 2009 at 4:03 pm

    Refugees the world over make excellent agents. Beware of the so called agencies that assist them. Are they but recruiting agencies?

    See what jobs an afghan refugee in your neighborhood gets. And they have relatives back home.

    And the warmongers can perpetuate

    Egypt is Israel's collaborator

  3. rits says:
    January 20, 2009 at 8:11 pm

    morris said: "Egypt is Israel's collaborator"

    Aye. So is the House of Saud.

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