An Israeli warship approaching the CPSGaza boat Olivia. (Photo: Ruqaya Izzedien)
The Civil Peace Service Gaza (CPSGAZA) sent out the following press release yesterday:
At 8:40am, on Wednesday, June 13th, 2012, an Israeli warship attacked international observers, a journalist and the Palestinian captain of the Civil Peace Service Gaza (CPSGAZA) boat Oliva, in an attempt to harm the crew members and threaten them with arrest.
“We were behind the buoy that Israel put out at sea to mark the three mile limit and they attacked us with heavy water cannons for half an hour, chasing us towards the northen nautical border, ” said Rosa Schiano, an Italian observer. “Then they accused us of crossing the border, when they had forcibly chased us in that direction. “
The Oliva was near one fishing boat within three nautical miles of the shore when an Israeli warship drew closer and began circling around the boat, chasing it towards Gaza’s north coast. The warship soon attacked the Oliva with a water cannon, causing the boat to fill up with water. The crew stated that they did not pose any danger and asked the warship to stop firing water. A soldier replied: “Shut up”.
The warship ordered the Oliva to shut down its motor, and its crew to stand in the front of the boat. When they asked whether they were being arrested, a soldier replied: “We’ll take all of you”. Finally, radio commanders decided alternately and the Oliva and its crew were allowed to sail away. “This is your last warning. Next time we won’t be as nice, if you know what I mean”, a soldier added as the Oliva prepared to leave.
While the Oliva was under attack, the CPSGAZA land team observed the Israeli navy simultaneously attacking Palestinian fishermen west of the Gaza Seaport. The fishermen were targeted by live gunfire and wake washed.
The Institute for Middle East Understanding just published the following fact sheet on the legality of the Gaza blockade:
- In September 2011, the UN released the so-called Palmer Report on Israel’s attack against the Freedom Flotilla in May 2010. The report deemed Israel’s blockade legal, however it was widely considered to be a politicized whitewash and contained the crucial caveat that “its conclusions can not be considered definitive in either fact or law.”
- Also in September 2011, shortly after the Palmer Report was released, an independent UN panel of experts released a report concluding that Israel’s blockade of Gaza does indeed violate international law, stating that it amounts to collective punishment in “flagrant contravention of international human rights and humanitarian law.” In reference to Palmer, the independent experts wrote:
‘In pronouncing itself on the legality of the naval blockade, the Palmer Report does not recognize the naval blockade as an integral part of Israel’s closure policy towards Gaza which has a disproportionate impact on the human rights of civilians.’
- Human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and the International Committee of the Red Cross also consider the blockade and siege to be acts of collective punishment that contravene international law.
- A 2009 Amnesty International report following Operation Cast Lead, Israel’s devastating military assault on Gaza in the winter of 2008-9, stated:
‘The prolonged blockade of Gaza, which had already been in place for some 18 months before the current fighting began, amounts to collective punishment of its entire population.
‘The Fourth Geneva Convention specifically prohibits collective punishment. Its Article 33 provides: “No protected person may be punished for an offence he or she has not personally committed. Collective penalties and likewise all measures of intimidation or of terrorism are prohibited.”’
- A June 2010 statement issued by the International Committee of the Red Cross entitled “Gaza closure: not another year!” noted:
‘The whole of Gaza’s civilian population is being punished for acts for which they bear no responsibility. The closure therefore constitutes a collective punishment imposed in clear violation of Israel’s obligations under international humanitarian law.’
- Also in June 2010, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, condemned the blockade as a form of collective punishment against the civilian population of Gaza, stating: “I have consistently reported to member states that the blockade is illegal and must be lifted.”
- In September 2010, a UN fact-finding mission into Israel’s attack on the Freedom Flotilla concluded:
‘The Mission considers that one of the principal motives behind the imposition of the blockade was a desire to punish the people of the Gaza Strip for having elected Hamas. The combination of this motive and the effect of the restrictions on the Gaza Strip leave no doubt that Israel’s actions and policies amount to collective punishment as defined by international law. In this connection, the Mission supports the findings of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, Richard Falk, the report of the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict and most recently the ICRC that the blockade amounts to collective punishment in violation of Israel’s obligations under international humanitarian law.’
- According to a March 2011 UN report entitled “Easing the Blockade: Assessing the Humanitarian Impact on the Population of the Gaza Strip”:
‘International law does allow Israel to restrict the access of people and goods to and from Gaza for legitimate security concerns; however, when doing so, it must balance these concerns with the rights and needs of Gaza’s population. In any case, Israel must absolutely refrain from imposing restrictions that are detrimental to these rights and needs and are not strictly required by legitimate security needs. Policies and practices in contravention to this norm may amount to collective punishment, which is prohibited under any circumstances.
‘While the recent relaxation measures constituted a step in the right direction, to comply with the abovementioned legal obligations, Israel must fully lift the blockade.’
- Israeli officials have admitted that the siege is not motivated primarily by security concerns, but is part of a strategy of “economic warfare” against the people of Gaza. In 2006, senior advisor to then-Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Dov Weisglass, said the goal of the Gaza siege was to put the 1.5 million people of Gaza “on a diet, but not to make them die of hunger.”
This is very impressive. Over 40 charities (none of them mainstream Jewish, bien sur) condemn the insanity of the Gaza siege
Tweet now “Five years too long #EndgazaBlockade”
http://www.aidajerusalem.org/
Fifty international charities and United Nations Agencies have unanimously called for the lifting of the blockade of Gaza. The organizations have published a simple three line statement to mark the fifth anniversary of the tightening of the blockade of the Strip. It reads:
For over five years in Gaza, more than 1.6 million people have been under blockade in violation of international law. More than half of these people are children. We the undersigned say with one voice: “end the blockade now.”
The international aid and development signatories include:
1. Action Contre la Faim (ACH)
2. Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (Acted)
3. American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)
4. Amnesty International
5. Broederlijk Delen
6. CARE International
7. CCFD-Terre Solidaire
8. Christian Aid
9. Christian Peacemaker Team
10. Cordaid
11. Danchurchaid
12. Diakonia
13. A Different Jewish Voice (Een Ander Joods Geluid)
14. Emergency Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (EWASH)
15. Gruppo di Volontariato Civile (GVC)
16. Handicap International
17. Help Age International
18. International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC)
19. IKV Pax Christi
20. International Learning Center
21. Life for Relief and Development
22. Medicos del Mundo – España (MDM Spain)
23. Médecins du Monde France (MdM France)
24. Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP)
25. Medico International
26. Movement for Peace (MPDL)
27. Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA)
28. Norwegian Church Aid (NCA)
29. Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)
30. Oxfam
31. Palestine Solidarity Association of Sweden
32. Polish Humanitarian Action (PAH)
33. Première Urgence – Aide Médicale Internationale
34. Save the Children
35. Secours Islamique France
36. Swedish Organization for Individual Relief
37. Terre des Hommes Italy (TdH Italy)
38. Terre des Hommes Lausanne (TdH Suisse)
39. Terre des Homme
40. Trócaire
41. The Carter Center
42. United Nations Association International Service (UNAIS)
43. War Child
The United Nations signatories include:
1. United Nations Humanitarian/Resident Coordinator, occupied Palestinian territory
2. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
3. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
4. United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)
5. United Nations Women
6. World Health Organization (WHO)
7. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
The government of Israel is facing mounting international criticism for the Gaza blockade and this unanimous statement from some of the most world’s most respected international organizations is likely to increase pressure for the blockade to be lifted.
#EndGazaBlockade
Adam, everybody knows Israel is in breach of International Laws and not just the ones mentioned here, but until the PA do something about it by getting Palestine recognised as a legitimate state at the UNGA and then on to the ICC nothing will happen, nothing. The US, in or out of election year will do nothing at the UNSC so people should save their breath, also there is no guarantee the ICC route will be successful politicised as it is, but to at least not try would be criminal, and it would confirm without doubt that Israel was indeed above International Law, I don’t think that will happen, but if it did a new strategy would be needed. So until we know the legal route is closed we can only observe.
It is the sheer pointless ‘pettiness ‘of preventing Gazans from even fishing in the sea to make a living, something that takes nothing from the Israelis and is no ‘threat’ to them that sends me over the edge. My evil twin comes out and wants to see the US unleash all hell on these puffed up bullies.
I don’t know how the Gazans take it year after year after year.
Israel will always be, and act as, a rogue state because whatever it does, however vile and inhumane, it does so with impunity. No state will stand up for international law or human rights applied to the belligerent aggressor state. There is no reason that US or European ships should not accompany observers or relief convoys to Gaza port, to protect their safety, and the Gazans’ right to free passage and trade. Except, of course, none of these ‘freedom-loving’ states has the cojones to stand up to the bully state, and their army of manipulators inside these countries.
Of course, the irony is that Israel is the first to go whining to international bodies and states that sanctions ‘must’ be applied to the states they have demonised for their own internal political reasons. At least Turkey has some spine, it is time for others to develop some backbone and stand up for their so-called principles.