Tag: Operation Protective Edge - Page 6 - International Solidarity Movement

Human rights defenders under live fire, one dead

20th July 2014 | International Solidarity Movement | Gaza, Occupied Palestine

The Israeli military just shot a Gazan man trying to reach his family, during an announced ceasefire. He was with a group of municipality workers and international human rights defenders who were attempting to retrieve injured people in the Shajiya neighbourhood.

The international activists and municipality workers are being fired at by the Israeli military. The young man who was killed can be seen in green t-shirt. — The international activists and municipality workers are being fired at by the Israeli military. The young man who was killed can be seen in a green t-shirt.

“We all just watched a man murdered in front of us. He was trying to reach his family in Shajiya, he had not heard from them and was worried about them. They shot him, and then continued to fire as he was on the ground. We had no choice but to retreat. We couldn’t reach him due to the artillery fire and then he stopped moving.” Stated Joe Catron, U.S. International Solidarity Movement (ISM) activist in Gaza. “Shajiya is a smoking wasteland. We just passed two bombed out ambulances.”

The Israel military has also shelled Red Crescent ambulances as they attempted to retrieve injured people in the Shajiya neighbourhood, east of Gaza City. A ceasefire was announced, during which injured and dead people, could be evacuated from the area, in which at least 60 people have been killed today.

“They said we would be able to evacuate the injured from the disaster zone, but they have been shelling ambulances,” stated Dr Khalil Abu Foul of the Palestinian Red Crescent, speaking from Shajiya.

Now, the international volunteers, including some from the U.S., the UK, and Sweden, are in a rescue centre on the outskirts of Shajiya.

El-Wafa hospital staff attempted to retrieve medicine

19th July 2014 | International Solidarity Movement| Gaza, Occupied Palestine

Hospital staff and international activists, from the U.S., Sweden, and the UK, attempted to travel to the recently bombed el-Wafa hospital, in an attempt to retrieve salvageable medical supplies.

When they arrived at the hospital it was, “still smoking from the attack this morning.” Stated U.S. International Solidarity Movement (ISM) activist, Joe Catron. The staff and activists were forced to retreat.

Charlie Andreasson, Swedish (ISM) activist, states, “We were waiting to get clearance from the Red Cross to go back to el-Wafa. This is urgent because without medicine, the patients cannot receive proper treatment, and coordination through the Red Cross has not been possible. ”

Previous attempts by the Red Crescent to enter the Shajaiya neighbourhood to retrieve wounded people from this area were met with live ammunition from the Israeli army. El-Wafa hospital is just outside of Shajaiya.

On July 17^th, the Israeli military fired rockets and shelled the hospital, forcing patients to be evacuated to Al Sahaba medical complex.

Basman Alashi, executive director of el-Wafa hospital told ISM, “Due to the emergency evacuation we were forced to move quickly, and had to leave behind important medication, supplies are now running low.”

The embassies of the international activists were informed by the ISM, and asked to do everything in their power to fulfil their responsibility to ensure that Israel respects international law and does not target this delegation of Palestinian and international human rights defenders.

The staff and internationals may try to retrieve supplies again, for now it was impossible.

Israeli military shells Gazan el-Wafa hopsital

18th July 2014 | International Solidarity Movement | Gaza, Occupied Palestine

Yesterday at 20:40 the Israeli military contacted el-Wafa hospital in Gaza and stated, “Why don’t you care about your family? Why don’t you care about your patients?”

Some of the staff at el-Wafa hospital (Photo by Charlie Andreasson).

The receptionist replied, “Sir, you can’t bomb the hospital. We cannot move the patients.”

Several minutes later, two rockets were fired at the hospital, and two more shortly after. The fourth rocket penetrated through the concrete walls.

The shelling then began heavily, hitting the hospital from all sides. Nurses ran through the halls screaming.

Dr. Basman Alashi, executive director of el-Wafa hospital, stated, “They are going to destroy the hospital.” Soon after the hospital lost electricity.

Alashi stated, “If these patients die, I hold Netanyahu personally responsible for their souls.”

All but four of the 17 patients were evacuated. Two of the four remaining patients were dependent on oxygen and were unable to be immediately moved. There were also four staff members and two Spanish international activists inside el-Wafa.

Patients at el-Wafa, forced to be evacuated (Photo by Charlie Andreasson). — Patients at el-Wafa, forced to be evacuated (photo by Charlie Andreasson).

At 21:45, the Israeli military called the Red Cross and asked them to contact el-Wafa to ask how much time was needed to evacuate the rest of the hospital. Alashi told them that he needed two hours to fully evacuate the hospital.

The last shelling occurred at 22:00 and the last patient was evacuated at 22:45 to Al sahaba medical complex.

According to Dr. Basman Alashi, “There were no physical injuries but emotionally, it is indescribable for the staff.”

Gaza report: “Colonisation policies will not bring peace and security”

16th July 2014 | International Solidarity Movement, Charlie Andreasson | Gaza, Occupied Palestine

Just one or two hours after the ceasefire talks broke down, Sohil Deeb Mahmoud al Hosris’ house was completely demolished in the densely populated refugee camp of Shati in an air strike.

It was a miracle nobody were killed or injured.

Where the former house stood, only a large pile of building blocks remained, along with smashed furniture and other belongings.

Volunteers helped with clearing the narrow footpath from stones, while others are helping to rescue the few belongings that can be saved. It is of little comfort to Sohils and his family when he has lost everything that he is not alone; 570 houses have been demolished, in Gaza alone, since the current military operation was launched, this number does not included the houses demolished by Israeli forces in the West Bank.

A ceasefire, without having resolved the root cause of the situation in Gaza, can never lead to lasting peace. Withdrawing to ’67 borders, respecting international law, and lifting the siege appears to be a painful idea for this occupying power, but it is the only way to provide protection to all citizens. This does not even begin to touch on the idea of a one-state solution.

Colonisation policies will not bring peace and security, only a continued escalation in violence, more uncertainty, and more demolished homes.

El-Wafa hospital threatened with bombing by Israeli military

16th July 2014 | International Solidarity Movement | Gaza, Occupied Palestine

Yesterday evening (July 15^th) at approximately 23:05 el-Wafa Rehabilitation hospital in Gaza, near Gaza City, received a call from someone claiming to be from the “Defense department of the Israeli forces”. The caller informed the hospital to evacuate everyone by this morning, and then hung up.

At 23:10, a recorded message was left on the hospital’s answer phone stating that the downtown area of the Shajaia neighbourhood should also be evacuated by tomorrow morning. The Shajaia area is two kilometers from the hospital and has a population of approximately 100,000 people.

At 23:55, a third call was placed to the hospital from the Israeli military. This caller repeated the evacuation message, stating that it should be carried out by 08:00, “because we don’t want innocent people to get hurt, we care about innocent people, and ask you to leave because we are doing a mass operation in your area.” This message was also written on leaflets dropped on the Beit Hanoun neighbourhood two days ago.

“The patients in the hospital are already in fear. With this new threat, the terror has rocketed sky-high. There is mass confusion.” stated Rina Andolini, UK activist now staying the the hospital along with seven other international volunteers.

The board director of el-Wafa hospital called the World Health Organisation (WHO) who then contacted the Israeli military at 00:15. Israeli forces told the WHO that the hospital do not need to evacuate and will not be bombed as, “it is a hospital so we won’t bomb it”.

However El-Wafa hospital has already been struck by five Israeli missiles on 11th July, and international activists have been maintaining a constant presence ever since.

Basman Alashi, executive director of el-Wafa Rehabilitation Hospital, stated that the callers spoke in Arabic and did not give any other information, apart from the evacuation demand.

“We are not going to evacuate,” Stated Alashi. “We are staying. I believe it is part of their [the Israeli military] propaganda, part of the scare tactics they use.”