UN urges Israel to loosen Gaza restrictions - Polidicks

[quote=BBC][B]A UN report says the Israeli military has increasingly restricted Palestinian access to farmland in the Gaza Strip and fishing zones along its shore. [/B]The Office for Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Gazans were never informed of the exact nature of such restrictions, and the Israeli army used live ammunition to enforce them. The policy has led to tens of thousand of people losing their livelihoods. Israel says the restrictions are necessary to prevent militant attacks. "What is foremost in our minds is protection of our civilians who live within range of the border," Israeli military spokeswoman Lt Col Avital Leibovich told the New York Times. "If your choice is to operate terror, you have to bear the consequences." 'Dire situation' The [URL="http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_special_focus_2010_08_19_english.pdf"]UN report[/URL] found that over the past 10 years, the Israeli military had gradually unilaterally expanded restrictions on access to farmland on the Gaza side of the 1949 Green Line, and to fishing areas along the territory's coastline. Since late 2008, Palestinians had been totally or partially prevented from accessing land located up to 1.5km (0.9 miles) from the border and the Mediterranean Sea beyond 5.5km (3 nautical miles) from Gaza's shore, the report said. Overall, it was estimated by the UN that access to 17% of the total land mass of the Gaza Strip and 35% of its agricultural land was restricted. Meanwhile, fishermen were totally prevented from accessing 85% of the maritime areas they were entitled to access according to the 1993 Oslo Accords. [IMG]http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/48801000/jpg/_48801740__47226393_gaza0202_fish_dawn2_466-1.jpg[/IMG] [I]Fishermen are prevented from accessing 85% of the maritime areas off Gaza's coast, OCHA[/I] An estimated 178,000 people - 12% of the population - were directly affected by the access regime implemented by the Israeli military, the report added. The OCHA said this was primarily enforced by Israeli troops firing "warning shots" near people entering the restricted areas. However, since the end of the Israeli offensive of December 2008 and January 2009, troops had killed 22 civilians and injured 146 while doing so. "Despite the potential for civilian casualties, the Israeli authorities have not informed the affected population about the precise boundaries of the restricted areas and the conditions under which access to these areas may be permitted or denied," OCHA said. "Additional risks to the affected population stem from military activities of Palestinian armed factions in the restricted areas and their confrontations with the Israeli military." The report said a complementary method used by the Israeli military to discourage access was the systematic levelling of farm land and the destruction of other private property located in restricted areas. This, it added, had cost Gazans $308m (£197m) in the past five years and resulted in a yearly loss of approximately 75,000 tonnes of potential produce. Gaza's fishing industry was estimated to have lost $26.5m of income over the same period. Such restrictions had also affected access to schools - seven of which are located within the restricted areas - and impeded the maintenance and upgrading of existing wastewater and electricity infrastructure, it found. "To start addressing the dire situation of one of the most vulnerable segments of Gaza's population, the current restrictions on civilian access to Gaza's land and sea must be urgently lifted to the fullest extent possible," the OCHA urged. [IMG]http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/48798000/jpg/_48798162_gaza_strip3_map466.jpg[/IMG][/quote] [URL="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11030512"]Source[/URL] When the U.N urges a nation to discontinue illegal activities and the nation continually refuses, sanctions are always put on the table, except for Israel.

Not much reason to restrict access. They should loosen up a bit. [QUOTE=starpluck;24206492][URL="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11030512"]Source[/URL] When the U.N urges a nation to discontinue illegal activities and the nation continually refuses, sanctions are always put on the table, except for Israel.[/QUOTE] Doesn't happen for the US, UK, Russia, or China.

[QUOTE=Gmod_Fan77;24206572] Doesn't happen for the US, UK, Russia, or China.[/QUOTE] Anyone on security council*. And since Israel is the US' sister, no sanctions will happen.

They won't and nobody will do anything about it.

inb4 burnemdown whines about the UN always acting against Israel. [editline]12:40PM[/editline] (then goes post in another thread telling us the UN is always right when it always defends Israel)

Burnemdown is an Israeli spy.

burnemdown is a brainwashed apologist.

Wait with the hate bandwagon until he have posted something atleast.

It's every fucking thread.

[QUOTE=Warhol;24207490]It's every fucking thread.[/QUOTE] Sure, but not this one so far so lets not derail it.

10 bucks he does it.

Fucking Israel is going to starve out Gaza, and the UN won't do shit because the U.S. is a province of Israel.

I feel bad for the Palestinians and how they can't receive enough food and supplies, it's really bad for them. Let's just hope Hamas will be removed from power soon, it'll be a huge step for peace.

The hate bandwagon on BED is pathetic.

About bloody time.

[QUOTE=ohadje;24208687]The hate bandwagon on BED is pathetic.[/QUOTE] Except it's not a bandwagon because we have legitimate reasons to hate him.

[QUOTE=JDK721;24208736]Except it's not a bandwagon because we have legitimate reasons to hate him.[/QUOTE] It's the fucking internet, grow up. "Hate him", pft.

[QUOTE=ohadje;24208766]It's the fucking internet, grow up. "Hate him", pft.[/QUOTE] You know what I mean. I don't hate him, but he's frustrating.

Doesn't the UN always do this? And doesn't Israel always ignore it? Is this situation any different than the rest?

That's pretty much what I thought when I saw the thread, there must be a ton of news articles with the exact same title.

Why do we get this again? Everytime UN ask them to do something, nothing happens. Also, do you find every article on Israel 24/7?

[QUOTE=BurnEmDown;24208529]I feel bad for the Palestinians and how they can't receive enough food and supplies, it's really bad for them. Let's just hope Hamas will be removed from power soon, it'll be a huge step for peace.[/QUOTE] Then Israel will find a new punching bag. [QUOTE=ohadje;24208687]The hate bandwagon on BED is pathetic.[/QUOTE] wahhhhh, they made fun of my boyfriend

[QUOTE=Warhol;24217995]Then Israel will find a new punching bag.[/QUOTE] Yeah because that's just what Israel loves to do, just attack its neighbors for no reason, it's not like the neighbors used terror and stuff first, no, they were just harmless bottle rockets.

[QUOTE=BurnEmDown;24218040]Yeah because that's just what Israel loves to do, just attack its neighbors for no reason, it's not like the neighbors used terror and stuff first, no, they were just harmless bottle rockets.[/QUOTE] When Israel kills more in a day then Palestinian organisation does in a year as a result of Israeli aggression, then yes, they're blood seeking assholes. Oppression breeds resistance, Israel is to fucking retarded to understand this.

So? They're using terror tactics over time, sending suicide bombers and rockets over the course of several years, obviously they won't kill as much in on day, but during the course of several years. The number of deaths is pretty even in these last 10 years actually.

What like 50 people? as opposed to 3000? Israel can easily stop this shit and they haven't. [editline]10:54PM[/editline] Every peace talk, they push the envelope.

[QUOTE=Warhol;24218110]When Israel kills more in a day then Palestinian organisation does in a year as a result of Israeli aggression, then yes, they're blood seeking assholes. [/QUOTE] Israel has Biological weapons. Israel has Chemical weapons. Israel has very large bombs. They have the capability to kill much more than the people they are killing now. If they wanted to, they could have, using unconventional means, eliminated most of the population of Gaza within days. If you think what the Israelis did was carpet bomb Gaza, you have never seen true carpet bombing in your life. The Israeli leaders aren't retarded, they are fully aware that killing civilians=more Martyrs=bigger support for resistance and terrorist groups. But in the end of the day, if you've got the bigger gun, you will find that it is a lot harder to aim with it.

If Israel completely wiped out the Gaza strip, I'm pretty certain the US would be pressured to cease support for them. I don't think Israel is willing to lose that.

[QUOTE=Warhol;24219772]If Israel completely wiped out the Gaza strip, I'm pretty certain the US would be pressured to cease support for them. I don't think Israel is willing to lose that.[/QUOTE] States had gone away with shit that is far worse then that. Hell, Hamas is killing their own people in Gaza from time to time and for some reason, nobody gives a shit. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1M4eH9Kk7I[/media]

[QUOTE=Warhol;24219576]What like 50 people? as opposed to 3000?[/QUOTE] No, the deaths from suicide bombings easily reached ~1500 if I'm not mistaken.