Despite promises to facilitate humanitarian aid Israel Is preventing repair of the electrical, water

[DogPoundPup]

and sewage systems in Gaza

Policy of Deliberate Obstruction Continues Even After the Ceasefire:

- The amount of industrial diesel Israel has permitted to enter Gaza is just 64% of the total needed to operate the power station.

- Since the fighting ended, Israel has totally obstructed the transfer of vital spare parts needed to repair the electrical, water and sewage systems.

- As a result, 1/4 million people have been without electricity in Gaza for the past month; power outages span 16-18 hours a day for the others.

- More than 200,000 people have no access to running water; the rest get water for only a few hours every 2-5 days.

READ MUCH MORE SPECIFIC INFO: http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/JBRN-7NQGVL?OpenDocument

[Scurrilous]

1. Blockade thwarts any postwar building boom in Gaza

<snip>

"Whole streets lie in ruins, many thousands of Palestinians are homeless after weeks of Israeli bombing and foreign aid cash is piling up. As a builder in the Gaza Strip, this should be Anwar al-Sahabani's big moment.

Instead, though, he sits at home, angry and sad, not just at the wounds he suffered on the first day of bombardment, but with frustration at being denied the basic supplies he needs to start rebuilding. Israel will not let in cement, steel pipes and other materials it says its Hamas enemies might use to make war.

"The fighting stopped over a week ago but people are still sleeping in the open air," said Sahabani, whose firm employs up to 100 craftsmen and labourers when working at full capacity.

"We should have started reconstruction the day the war ended. But we have no supplies." His men, like him, sit idle, he said: "I am sad and angry and I feel a pain beyond words."

Along the 45 km (30-mile) strip of Mediterranean coastline, half-finished construction sites stand silent, and, amid the ruins left by this month's violence, families are building makeshift wood-and-plastic shelters to escape the cold.

"For two years now, we have not been able to build," Sahabani said of an Israeli embargo going back to 2007. "God knows what will happen now to the people who lost their homes."

more

[Tripmann]

2. So thats.....

....power, construction, food, water. Whats the latest on medical?

Gaza is an open wound on the face of our humanity. Horrible.

Lets hope George Mitchell can do some good.

[azurnoir]

3. Statement after meeting with George Mitchell

They say that the US and the new administration will pressure Israel, but, actually, we are the ones who will pressure the United States to help bring about peace and fight terrorism," said Peres.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3663360,00.html

Sounds cooperative to me :sarcasm:

[Tripmann]

4. We'll see after the Israeli elections are over.....

...what the real positions are. Can't come quick enough IMHO.

[azurnoir]

5. I hope so, but Bibi is still in the lead n/t

[oberliner]

6. Two weeks is an eternity in elections

The polls can be deceiving as well - no cell phpnes.