“Every Gazan projects a sense of having stared death in the face. Every Gazan has a tale of profound grief to tell,” recounted Karen AbuZayd, the Commissioner General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in her presentation to the Security Council on January 27 before they went into closed session.

She reported that there had been a systematic destruction in Gaza of schools, universities, residential buildings, factories, shops and farms. (Karen AbuZayd’s Statement to the Security Council, January 27, 2009) (1)

AbuZayd told the Security Council that “There is rage against the attackers for often failing to distinguish between military targets and civilians and there is also resentment against the international community for having allowed first the siege and then the war to go on for so long.”(2)

Also speaking to the Security Council before they went into closed session was John Holmes, the Under-Secretary General… weiter lesen

In a letter submitted to Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary General of the United Nations, and to the President of the Security Council for the month of January (S/2009/6, 6 January, 2009), Israel informs them that it has expanded its military operations in the Gaza Strip. Israel claims this is its right under Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations. Israel states that this is a “defensive military operation” and that it has begun this military operation only “after exhausting all other means”.

The letter states “Israel is not at war with the Palestinian people.” It states that Israel is doing its “utmost to avoid and minimize civilian casualties and to take the necessary precautionary measures in accordance with Israel’s obligations under international humanitarian law.” Also Israel claims that it “makes — and will continue to make every effort to allow humanitarian relief into the Gaza Strip.”

Describing… weiter lesen

On Saturday Evening, January 3 the President of the General Assembly, Father Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann, arrived at the UN as the Security Council was preparing to hold a closed door meeting about the Gaza Crisis.

Earlier in the day, Israel had escalated the previous 8 days of bombing of Gaza by beginning a ground invasion into Gaza.

The situation in Gaza is that the 1.5 million civilians are trapped in a virtual prison as for the past 18 months prior to the invasion Israel has blockaded the crossing points into Gaza that it controls, and Egypt has closed the one crossing point it has control over.

Responding to the question from a journalist about what his reaction was to Israel’s actions in Gaza and the Israeli ground attack,  Brockmann said, “I think it’s a monstrosity. There’s no other way to name it.” (1)

He went on to explain that “once… weiter lesen