Israel Matzav

'Humanitarian crisis'?

The UN and its agencies are promoting the idea that there is a 'humanitarian crisis' in the Gaza Strip. This is nothing new - they have been promoting that idea since the world cut off funding to the 'Palestinian Authority' after the 'Palestinians' decided that the terror group Hamas best represented their interests. (Note - this is not to say that 'moderate Palestinian President' Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen's Fatah is any less of a terror group, only that Fatah at least gives the world some cover of normalcy to hide behind, while with Hamas, what you see is what you get).

It should come as no surprise to any of you that Al-AP is reporing that the UN is blaming Israel for the crisis. But of course! After all, we're the ones who who invaded another country and kidnapped a soldier. We're the ones who responded to being given a stretch of Judenrein land by firing Kassam rockets at civilians every day for nearly a year. Okay, that's enough sarcasm for now.

According to Al-AP:

The three-page statement, listing charges separately from six UN-affiliated agencies, called for "urgent action" to halt the rapid deterioration. Israel rejected the charges.

The statement charged that Israel's military offensive has caused mass violations of human rights of civilians in Gaza. Some result from an Israeli attack that destroyed the main Gaza power station, others from the closing of vital crossing points and the rest from military operations, it said.

And the 'Palestinians' situation is so 'desparate' as a result of 'vital crossing points' being closed that they declined an Israeli offer to reopen the Kerem Shalom crossing point Friday, which is right near where the operation that started this whole affair was launched. As to the electric plant, I have discussed that already.

Al-AP continues:

The world body expressed alarm over events in Gaza "which have seen innocent civilians, including children, killed, brought increased misery to hundreds of thousands of people and which will wreak far-reaching harm on Palestinian society."

Among the specific issues listed, the statement said Gaza is "on the brink of a public health disaster," including a shortage of medicines. Also, children in Gaza "are living in an environment of extraordinary violence, insecurity and fear.

So why do their parents allow them to be used as human shields? That's not Israel's fault!

What's most amazing is the reaction to this out of the Israeli foreign ministry:

Foreign Ministry spokesman Yariv Ovadia denied there is a humanitarian crisis and said the Israel Defense Forces operation "has been tailored to avoid civilian casualties while bringing sufficient pressure to bear on the Hamas-led government of the Palestinian Authority" to order release of the soldier and halt the rocket attacks.

He said Israel is allowing transfer of fuel and food into Gaza through crossing points from Israel "despite continued attempts by terrorist groups to attack these facilities."

Ovadia rejected the premise of the UN statement, that Israel was to blame for the hardships in Gaza. "The Palestinian terrorists purposely manufacture, store and fire missiles at Israeli civilians from the midst of their own population," he wrote. "It is they themselves who bring suffering upon their own people by using them as shields for their terrorism," also blaming the Palestinian people for electing a government led by "Hamas, a murderous terrorist organization."

You can tell that Shimon Peres isn't foreign minister any more.

There's a new director of UNRWA, the UN organization that has perpetuated the 'Palestinians' 'refugee status' for 58 years, and he is also complaining of a 'humanitarian crisis.'

"Living conditions are at a new low. It's a struggle to survive," said John Ging, the new head of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in Gaza.

Ging warned that Israel's military campaign, prompted by the kidnapping of an IDF soldier two weeks ago, has led to a humanitarian crisis. "Water, food, electricity, sanitation; these are the problems. The situation doesn't get more basic than that," he said.

...

The closure and the destruction of Gaza's only power station by the Israeli air force have led to a humanitarian crisis in the area, said Ging, the UNRWA chief.

He urged Israel to open supply routes at crossings such as Karni in southern Gaza, where he said 235 containers of UN food were waiting to cross.

He said the border closure also was preventing the United Nations from shipping its empty containers out of Gaza to be refilled and returned.

You have to take anything UNRWA says with more than a grain of salt. After all, they employ terrorists.

But here there's lots of evidence that UNRWA and their 'Palestinian' clients are just lying. According to the IDF:

"The situation in Gaza is not even close to developing into a humanitarian crisis," head of the Gaza Liaison Administration Col. Nir Press told The Jerusalem Post, claiming that charges made by the Palestinians were aimed at deceiving the international community.

...

Last week, Israel reopened the Karni crossing into the Gaza Strip [Yes, the same one that UNRWA 'wants reopened' CiJ] but closed it on Thursday after Israel received intelligence indicating Palestinians were planning an attack on the main cargo crossing into Gaza. Close to 80 trucks loaded with medicine and food passed through the crossing before it was closed.

Press said that the type of merchandise ordered by the Palestinians and transferred into Gaza via Karni, included thousands of boxes of cherries and proved that there was not a humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. "Judging by what the Palestinians order you can tell that there is not a crisis there," he said. [Well, at least this time they didn't include television sets. CiJ]

So where is the crisis? And to the extent that there is one, who is causing it?

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 7:33 AM