[Peace-discuss] Not in U.S. Press

[David Green]

-Jennifer Loewenstein; Beirut, Hamra; 1.10.09. 2:30am

Here are some newsworthy items out of Gaza that are unlikely to be making it to
the Western presses. I received this information directly from one of the staff
of the Mezan Center for Human Rights about twenty minutes ago.

1.Israel has begun a new policy in Gaza in the past two days called the "roof
knock". This is when a "small" rocket is fired from Israeli military aircraft
that is strong enough to blast open the roof of a targeted building. It is sent
as a "warning message" to the building's inhabitants giving them between 2 and 3
minutes to evacuate before the building is completely destroyed. A number of
cases of this new technique have been reported recently.

2. While the UN continues to claim that "only" 25% of the casualties from the
attacks on Gaza are civilian, the Mezan Center for Human Rights (known for the
care it takes not to overstate the numbers and for its strict verification
policies) estimates that the number of civilian casualties is approximately 85%.
In particular, the number of children has increased to over 200, and the number
of women has surpassed 75. One reason for the lower civilian casualty figures
used by the UN has to do with the reluctance to consider men -other than the
elderly and sick- as non-combatants. In fact the overwhelming majority of men
killed in "Operation Cast Lead" up to now have been non-combatants, including
fathers, teachers, shopkeepers, construction workers, laborers, students, as
well as the civil policemen. The vast majority are not "Hamas militants." Note
that the civil police are considered 'non-combatants' under international law
and are therefore not 'legitimate' targets in any military confrontation any
more than traffic cops or firemen.

3. The UN announced this evening that "almost everyone in the Gaza Strip" is now
in need of humanitarian aid. Indeed, even those with adequate food supplies are
a) handing out what they have to people in "shelters" (which have been targeted
consistently by Israeli war machines in the past); Even those with adequate food
supplies are b) unable to obtain bread anywhere. Many are using rice or
spaghetti to substitute for carbohydrates -- when these are availabe and when
there is water and electricity to allow for cooking these items.

4. There are widespread reports now of forced evacuations of entire
neighborhoods of people who go mainly to nearby schools or other public
buildings not yet destroyed. These are considered no more secure than their
homes but remain the only other places to go (other than to move into crowded
dwellings with relatives; or places no more secure than their own homes). The
congregation of so many people in these enclosed spaces increases the likelihood
of major civilian casualties when airstrikes target the area.

PLEASE PROTEST THESE AND OTHER ACTIONS OF THE UNITED STATES AND ISRAEL, TWO
COUNTRIES THAT CLAIM THE WHOLESALE DESTRUCTION OF A PEOPLE IS A MATTER OF 'SELF
DEFENSE'.
--
Greta Berlin
Media Team
Free Gaza Movement
310 422 7242
www.freegaza.org
www.flickr.com/photos/29205195 at N02/