Middle East Crisis

Dear Friends,

The situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate as Israeli forces escalate their offensive against the Palestinian people. Only last night, Israeli military shelling led to the destruction of the facilities of the Palestinian Authority foreign ministry as well as the home of a Palestinian family in Gaza City leading to the deaths of nine Palestinians, including seven children, all from the same family. MCC continues to monitor the situation and maintain contact with our partners in Gaza. We continue to hear from our friends there that this recent campaign by the Israeli military is having devastating effects across the Gaza Strip. Within the past two days, the Israeli military began another phase of their offensive, moving into the regions of southern Gaza, where MCC partner the Culture and Free Thought Association (CFTA; http://www.palnet.com/~cfta) operates, positioning itself in central Gaza in a manner that cuts the Gaza Strip in half. And early this morning, following the capture of two Israeli soldiers by the Lebanese group Hezbollah, Israeli forces have imposed a sea and air blockade on Lebanon, fired on the airport in Beirut, and shelled targets in southern Lebanon that has already led to the deaths of over thirty Lebanese civilians.

The targeting of Gaza's civilian infrastructure (electricity, water, etc.) only hurts the civilian population and is a completely unacceptable response by the state of Israel. With much of the water supply and sewage system dependent on electricity, this damage to civilian infrastructure raises serious medical concerns and unmasks this campaign of collective punishment of the Palestinian people-actions clearly in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention, to which Israeli is a signatory-as a predictable and uncreative display of Israeli military might over and against 1.5 million poor Palestinians. And with over 60 Palestinians killed, Gaza's children severely traumatized, and half of Gaza's population without reliable electricity since Operation "Summer Rain" began two weeks ago, the disproportionality of the Israeli military response only underscores its unacceptability.

The main reason that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is such an issue is because the people there live as prisoners in what is essentially the world's largest open-air prison. Since Israel's "disengagement" last year, the Palestinian people have had no control over movement in and out of Gaza, no control over borders (land, sea, or air), no open access to needed services and viable economic opportunity, and live constantly under the threat of Israeli military incursions, shelling, and "targeted assassinations" that leave entire Palestinian families murdered in the streets. As the occupying power, Israel has certain obligations under international law in regards to the Palestinian people. Israel has completely shirked this responsibility and left the burden of responding to the needs of one of the most densely populated areas on earth-the great majority of whom being refugees-to the international community, creating a situation that does not provide the opportunity for a prosperous future but only just prevents Gaza from slipping into humanitarian disaster on a daily basis. With the reality of this context in mind, one can begin to understand why Gaza was in such a devastated state immediately after the Israeli military began its offensive and why humanitarian access is critical at this point.

Here are some recent MCC news releases on the unfolding situation (for the most part, these links can also be found on MCC's Palestine website at http://www.mcc.org/palestine along with links to other resources; the link below to a report by aid agencies in the OPT includes a statement to which MCC signed):

Aid organizations call for access to Gaza civilians July 12, 2006 http://www.mcc.org/news/news/2006/2006-07-12_gazaaccess.html

Aid Agencies in OPT: Civilians in Gaza in Need of Protection July 7, 2006
http://english.wafa.ps/body.asp?id=6796

In the midst of chaos, MCC begins Lebanese response efforts July 20, 2006 http://www.mcc.org/news/news/2006/2006-07-20_lebaneseresponse.html

MCC monitoring situation in Lebanon, workers safe July 12, 2006 http://www.mcc.org/news/news/2006/2006-07-12_lebanon.html

MCC monitoring deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza Gladys Terichow June 30, 2006 http://www.mcc.org/news/news/2006/2006-06-30_gaza.html

Prayer for Gaza
Esther Epp-Thiessen, July 5, 2006
http://www.mcc.org/news/news/2006/2006-07-05_gazaprayer.html

Also, here is one opportunity to offer your support. It is one of MCC's Global Family Programs in Khan Younis in southern Gaza where the Culture and Free Thought Association works with the children of the refugee camps:

MCC Global Family Programs in Palestine Shoroq wa-Amal (Sunrise and Hope) Children's Club http://www.mcc.org/globalfamily/projects/middleeast/palestine/shoroq.html

MCC continues to monitor the situation in conversation with our partners, seeking effective ways to respond. And we continue to pray for a justpeace for all the people of this land.

Peace,

Timothy Seidel