The suffering continues in Gaza. An article in the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz last week tells about the process by which Israeli securit forces restrict the goods that are allowed into Gaza. It is clear the embargo of goods continues and that the people of Gaza continue to suffer because their needs for food are subordinate to other considerations, like Israeli growers' needs, the stabilization of market prices for food in the Israeli towns north of Gaza, and on and on. In the article, the Israeli rationale for the restrictions is connected to the imprisonment of Gilad Shalit, the soldier detained by Hamas in a cross-border raid from Gaza in 2006, and held hostage ever since. Gilad Shalit must be released, but it is important to remember that, while Hamas holds one Israeli prisoner, 7669 Palestinians are imprisoned in Israeli jails, 449 of these held under adminsitrative detention, held without charges, deemed to be a threat to Israel's security (like the people held at Guantanamo). One of the 449 administrative detainees is the brother of a woman I met in Jayyous, Ghassan Knaled, professor of law at the univeristy in Nablus. Read his story in one of my previous posts.
Bribes are also an important part of the decision-making when goods are allowed or banned from Gaza. Read the article: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1092186.html.
This week the Free Gaza movement is sending more boats bringing humanitarian aid to break the continuing blockade of Gaza. Read about their work and support them: http://www.freegaza.org/ .
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