UNRWA chief slams Israel and Egypt over Gaza restrictions

[Falcon29]

UNRWA chief appeals to Israel, Egypt over Gaza restrictions| Reuters

(Reuters) - The outgoing head of the U.N. agency that aids Palestinian refugees urged Israel and Egypt on Tuesday to lift their border restrictions on the Hamas Islamist-run Gaza Strip.

Filippo Grandi, commissioner-general of the United NationsRelief and Works Organization (UNRWA), said Israel and Egypthad legitimate security concerns but that the plight of the 1.8 million Palestinians in Gaza should also be taken into account.

"I think the world should not forget about the security of the people of Gaza," he said. "Their security is worth the same as everybody else's security so we appeal to the humanitarian sense of all."

Israel tightened curbs on the movement of people and goods at the Gaza border in 2007 after Hamas, which won a Palestinian election a year earlier, wrested control of the enclave from forces loyal to Western-backed President Mahmoud Abbas.

Israel, which maintains a naval blockade of Gaza in a declared bid to prevent arms from reaching militants, has eased overland restrictions since 2010 but continues to block most exports from the territory. Palestinians say goods coming in through the lone commercial crossing with Israel meet only 35 to 50 percent of their needs.

Egypt has meanwhile clamped down on smuggling tunnels in the Sinai desert that served as a commercial lifeline for Gaza.

The military-backed government that toppled the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas's ideological kin, in Cairo last year deems the Palestinian faction a security threat, although Hamas insists its hostility is directed exclusively at Israel.

Israel's blockade, Grandi said, is "illegal and must be lifted". He said that while Israel had allowed importation of building materials for a limited number of UNRWA-run projects, another $150 million in new construction was still blocked.

"I also want to make a strong appeal for export to resume because the lack of export is the main reason for the poverty of Gaza," said Grandi, who leaves his post next week.

Official Palestinian statistics put Gaza's unemployment rate at nearly 40 percent. UNRWA says 80 percent of the population of Gaza receives aid.

Grandi, an Italian who was appointed UNRWA chief in 2010, also urged Egypt to open its Rafah crossing with Gaza, especially for those seeking medical treatment and students.

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[BLACKEAGLE]

Egypt should not mistake ordinary people with Hamas. Shame on Egypt.

 

[Falcon29]

Egypt should not mistake ordinary people with Hamas. Shame on Egypt.

It's over the top, during Mubarak era he never accused Hamas of being a security threat and even when he closed the border he at least let the tunnels operate. The point is about the people though, this is a gross crime against humanity by Egypt and Israel and they justify it. Hamas is not the issue here, they keep citing Hamas to justify the siege but Hamas is the national government made up of all Palestinian people. The national police force, government employees are all national Palestinians. Now there are severe shortages of pretty much all basic necessities. Hamas already said its open to have contact with Egypt but Egypt keeps turning it down. Israel also wants to remain hostile even though said it would agree to a two state solution if approved by national majority and if it was a fully sovereign Palestinian state on 1967 borders. This Israeli nation and Egyptian regime insist on this hatred and inhumane crime against the Palestinian people and the world turns a blind eye. This is not accepted anywhere else in the world.

 

[Falcon29]

..............

Now this is funny.... @BLACKEAGLE

مصر أمام مجلس حقوق الإنسان: إسرائيل تتحمل مسؤولية حصار غزة - مجتمع وناس

 

[Falcon29]

Report: Egypt to open border crossing for three days.

 

[Solomon2]

Now there are severe shortages of pretty much all basic necessities.

There's a lot to complain about in your rant but this is a pretty big fib. Grandi didn't cite that; he complained that Israel and Egypt were restricting Gazan EXPORTS and the movement of students and (on the Egyptian border) people needing medical treatment.

What I find darkly amusing is that Grandi blamed both Israel and Egypt for the "blockade", but only labelled Israel's activity - which permits select imports and exports and personnel movement - as "illegal" but did not label Egypt's near-total shutdown of its border as such. It's gives one a real view of the mentality of so many at the U.N.

 

[Falcon29]

There's a lot to complain about in your rant but this is a pretty big fib. Grandi didn't cite that; he complained that Israel and Egypt were restricting Gazan EXPORTS and the movement of students and (on the Egyptian border) people needing medical treatment.

What I find darkly amusing is that Grandi blamed both Israel and Egypt for the "blockade", but only labelled Israel's activity - which permits select imports and exports and personnel movement - as "illegal" but did not label Egypt's near-total shutdown of its border as such. It's gives one a real view of the mentality of so many at the U.N.

He's condemned the closings of all borders which are unrelated to the blockade. As to the blockade, ...maybe because Israel orchestrated it? That's why he calls it the Israeli blockade. Because it's an Israeli blockade.

Israel says it imposes an blockade for security concerns, okay, so why are all the border crossings(Including Egyptian due to camp david agreement) closed for most of the time and exports are largely denied? The closure of border crossings is not justified, there isn't a security concern there. Israel has one main crossing used for human purposes, they deny people they consider a threat beforehand. So why close the crossings that only deal with goods related affairs? There isn't a security concern there, it would allow the Palestinians to export and significantly decrease unemployment and allow for basic needs.

If Israel wants to justify the blockade, okay. However, justifying the goods crossings is immoral and is intended to make sure the lives of Palestinians there are horrible. It's collective punishment as well.

 

[Solomon2]

If Israel wants to justify the blockade, okay. However, justifying the goods crossings is immoral -

You are far from the best person to judge morality here, as you advocate that a lie repeated many times should be regarded as "truth".

You're probably aware that as part of the naval blockade (which the U.N.'s Palmer Report says is legal and legitimate) Gaza can't export by sea, and readers who have paid attention the last couple of years know that the border crossing to Israel often comes under terror rocket attack as well - even when the trucks at the crossing are carrying humanitarian supplies to Gaza!

Google around and you'll see various discussions on the Gaza export situation. I recommend csmonitor.com and gisha.org.

 

[Falcon29]

You are far from the best person to judge morality here, as you advocate that a lie repeated many times should be regarded as "truth".

You're probably aware that as part of the naval blockade (which the U.N.'s Palmer Report says is legal and legitimate) Gaza can't export by sea, and readers who have paid attention the last couple of years know that the border crossing to Israel often comes under terror rocket attack as well - even when the trucks at the crossing are carrying humanitarian supplies to Gaza!

Google around and you'll see various discussions on the Gaza export situation. I recommend csmonitor.com and gisha.org.

Again, you make a false assertion without backing it u with information. You try to tie this false assertion with the current Israeli cause.

You ignored everything I said on purpose, if we justify the naval blockade as you want us to, explain then the land siege to us.

I don't go to right wing Israeli sources for my information.