Original article
By Joseph Klein
FrontPageMagazine.com | Monday, February 09, 2009
In a rare admission of Hamas’ wrong-doing, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (“UNRWA”) promptly condemned Hamas in a sternly worded press release for seizing its humanitarian supplies by force on February 3, 2009. For once, UNRWA did not deem it necessary, in the name of moral equivalency, to attack Israel at the same time.
The UN Secretary General’s deputy spokesperson Marie Okabe reinforced UNRWA’s condemnation of Hamas by essentially paraphrasing its press release at a briefing held on February 4th at UN headquarters that I attended. I looked around at other peoples’ faces in the briefing room and some appeared as surprised as I was that, for the first time, we were witnessing UNRWA and the Secretary General’s office actually criticizing Hamas alone in such strong terms. However, the matter-of-factness with which the Secretary General’s deputy spokesperson read her statement – as opposed to the anger we always hear from UN spokespersons whenever Israel is criticized – conveyed a rather nonchalant attitude toward the whole thing as if it were an unfortunate but isolated event. Of course it is anything but.
The incident that brought this development about involved the confiscation of over 3500 blankets and 406 food parcels by police affiliated with Hamas, who broke into an UNRWA warehouse in the Shatti beach refugee camp and seized the aid supplies by force. The supplies were to be distributed by UNRWA to five hundred families in Gaza. The confiscation took place after UNRWA staff had earlier refused to accede to Hamas’ demand and hand over the aid supplies to the Hamas-run Ministry of Social Affairs. The reason for the refusal, UNRWA said, was to ensure that the assistance would actually reach the intended beneficiaries.
At the request of reporters attending Ms. Okabe's briefing, a follow-up press conference was set up at UN headquarters via video link the next day with John Ging, UNRWA’s Director of Operations in Gaza. Ging acknowledged that Hamas's seizure of UNRWA aid supplies was only making matters worse, saying that the incident had “crossed a red line”. However, he blamed it on "the reckless acts of a few", as if the ruling Hamas terrorist group were a reasonable organization that had temporarily lost control of a few hotheads. Ironically, not long after Ging was briefing reporters about the first incident, Hamas struck again. It seized 10 truckloads of flour and rice that had been delivered into Gaza, leading UNRWA to suspend all further aid shipments into Gaza until the Hamas government returns the stolen supplies and provides credible assurances that such thefts will end.
Just days before Hamas’ criminal seizure of UNRWA supplies, the United Nations had launched an international appeal for $613 million to help in Gaza recovery efforts. "With the help of this $613 million appeal, the United Nations and other aid agencies can jump into action to help the 1.4 million civilians in the Gaza Strip to recover," Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told a news conference on the situation in Gaza, speaking from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Unfortunately, the Secretary General’s deputy spokesperson was either unable or unwilling to acknowledge a connection between Hamas’ forceful assertion of control over the disposition of UNRWA aid supplies and concern over what Hamas would be likely to do in order to get its hands on the UN-raised Gaza aid money. She ducked a question at the press briefing on this very point.
The concern is not hypothetical. Hamas officials in the Gaza Strip and Syria have warned the international community against channeling funds intended for Gaza reconstruction projects through the Palestinian Authority. "Don't give the money to Ramallah," said Moussa Abu Marzouk, deputy chairman of the Hamas political bureau.
Hamas wants total control over all aid – supplies and money - in order to enhance its claims to legitimacy and to bestow favors to its supporters in Gaza while depriving its enemies of any assistance.
Hamas has no interest in relieving the suffering of the civilians under its rule. In fact, Hamas prevented its own people from reaching lsraeli medical facilities set up just outside Gaza. It has regularly intercepted humanitarian convoys and stolen food items that had been donated for free distribution to needy Gazans. Instead, they were sold in the black market. After using Palestinian civilians as human shields during the conflict with Israel, Hamas is now stealing aid intended for suffering women and children whose images Hamas wants to continue using for propaganda purposes.
A Fatah official denounced Hamas last month as a "black and bloody militia" that was responsible for the "catastrophe" in the Gaza Strip, as reported in the Jerusalem Post. This was a Palestinian speaking, not an Israeli citizen. The Fatah official, who wished to remain anonymous out of fear of reprisal, would like to see Hamas leaders Mahmoud Zahar and Ismail Haniyeh tried before a Palestinian court as "war criminals." The Hamas leaders, he charged, were responsible for the death of hundreds of innocent Palestinians. "Ever since they came to power, they brought death and destruction to our people."[1]
When Hamas’ Palestinian brethren can connect the dots and see through Hamas’ exploitation of its own people, it is time for the United Nations to consider Hamas’ criminal seizure of UNRWA aid supplies as a wake-up call. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon must do everything possible to ensure that not a cent of money the UN raises for humanitarian aid and reconstruction in Gaza goes to Hamas or to any of its front organizations. Otherwise, it will not be long before the Secretary General’s spokesperson may have to read a statement during a press briefing about Hamas’ theft of hundreds of millions of dollars from the Palestinian people.
Notes:
[1] The Jerusalem Post (January 12, 2009)
_________________________________________________
Joseph A. Klein is the author of Global Deception: The UN’s Stealth Assault on America’s Freedom.
Showing posts with label Humanitarian aid. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Humanitarian aid. Show all posts
Monday, February 9, 2009
Saturday, February 7, 2009
UNRWA suspends Gaza aid after Hamas steals food and supplies
Original article
By Haaretz Service and The Associated Press
Last update - 17:27 06/02/2009
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) on Friday said it is suspending humanitarian aid in Gaza until further notice, after Hamas seized control of its warehouses and stole 200 tons of food and supplies.
The agency said it made the decision after Hamas personnel seized an aid shipment on Thursday. Earlier this week, Hamas police took thousands of blankets and food parcels meant for needy residents.
In a statement, UNRWA said 10 truckloads of flour and rice that had been
d
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elivered into Gaza on Thursday were taken away by trucks affiliated with the Hamas-run Ministry of Social Affairs. Earlier this week, Hamas police took thousands of blankets and food parcels meant for needy residents.\
UNRWA said the suspension would remain in effect until the aid is returned and the agency receives credible assurances from the Hamas government that such thefts will end. There was no immediate reaction from Hamas.
UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness said the agency would continue to distribute aid from its existing supplies in Gaza, but that stocks were running thin.
"There is enough aid for days, not weeks," he said. Complicating the situation, he said the agency has not been able to import plastic bags used for food distribution, and that existing supplies will run out early next week.
Some 80 percent of Gaza's 1.4 million people rely on the UN agency for food and other support, and UN officials say the need for aid has increased since Israel ended a military offensive in Gaza last month.
A UN spokesman on Wednesday said Hamas police in Gaza broke into a warehouse full of UN humanitarian supplies and seized thousands of blankets and food packages, creating a rare public clash between the international agency that feeds much of the territory and the militant group that rules it.
The incident highlighted difficulties facing donors seeking to bypass Hamas while helping Gazans survive and rebuild after Israel's three-week military offensive.
"Hamas policemen stormed into an aid warehouse in Gaza City Tuesday evening and confiscated 3,500 blankets and over 400 food parcels ready for distribution to 500 families," said UNRWA spokesman Christopher Gunness on Wednesday.
"They were armed, they seized this, they took it by force," Gunness said, terming the incident absolutely unacceptable.
Police seized the aid after UNRWA officials refused to voluntarily hand it over to the Hamas-run Ministry of Social Affairs, he said. Similar aid packages were distributed to 70,000 residents over the past two weeks, Gunness said.
Ahmad Kurd, the Hamas official in charge of the ministry, did not deny the aid was seized. Other Hamas officials defended their actions.
Hamas spokesman Taher Nunu demanded an apology and said UNRWA was spreading false news. Ihab Ghussein, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said the incident occurred because the UN was storing the blankets in an area not authorized to be distributed.
In Gaza, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum called UNRWA's decision unjustified.
He said Hamas supports UNRWA's work, but believes that some of the agency's employees were giving aid to groups attached to rival political parties.
"We as Hamas refuse all use of the people's needs for political ends," he said. "He called on UNRWA to put an end to using aid for political means, and to distribute it to all the needy equally."
UN officials said the aid was kept in a local storage facility because the organization's regular warehouses were full. The UN, human rights groups and Palestinians have often complained that a blockade by Israel and Egypt has left Gaza critically short of vital supplies.
Gaza residents are facing more hardship since Israel's devastating three-week military offensive, which ended Jan. 18. The operation, aimed at halting rocket fire by Palestinian militants, killed 1,300 including hundreds of civilians and left thousands destitute after their homes were damaged or destroyed.
Kurd said the Hamas government had already distributed $50 million in emergency relief to residents and promised additional payments for hardship cases.
Gunness said this was the first time Hamas seized UNRWA supplies. "Does anyone really think that the Americans, who are our single largest donor, or the Europeans, who are our largest multination donor, would give us aid in the generous way they do if they thought that aid would go to terrorists?" Gunness asked.
The West Bank-based government of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, a fierce rival of Hamas, was also planning to send $600 million in aid, hoping to earn the loyalty of Gaza residents. Hamas expelled forces loyal to Abbas when it overran Gaza in 2007.
Egypt is to host an international conference in coordination with Abbas's Palestinian Authority on March 2 on Gaza reconstruction, whose cost has been estimated at $2 billion. Saudi Arabia has said it would donate e1 billion.
Last week, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit urged Europe to help with fast aid for the Gaza Strip, saying the reconstruction meeting would require damage assessments and the support of the European Union, the United Nations and others.
By Haaretz Service and The Associated Press
Last update - 17:27 06/02/2009
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) on Friday said it is suspending humanitarian aid in Gaza until further notice, after Hamas seized control of its warehouses and stole 200 tons of food and supplies.
The agency said it made the decision after Hamas personnel seized an aid shipment on Thursday. Earlier this week, Hamas police took thousands of blankets and food parcels meant for needy residents.
In a statement, UNRWA said 10 truckloads of flour and rice that had been
d
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elivered into Gaza on Thursday were taken away by trucks affiliated with the Hamas-run Ministry of Social Affairs. Earlier this week, Hamas police took thousands of blankets and food parcels meant for needy residents.\
UNRWA said the suspension would remain in effect until the aid is returned and the agency receives credible assurances from the Hamas government that such thefts will end. There was no immediate reaction from Hamas.
UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness said the agency would continue to distribute aid from its existing supplies in Gaza, but that stocks were running thin.
"There is enough aid for days, not weeks," he said. Complicating the situation, he said the agency has not been able to import plastic bags used for food distribution, and that existing supplies will run out early next week.
Some 80 percent of Gaza's 1.4 million people rely on the UN agency for food and other support, and UN officials say the need for aid has increased since Israel ended a military offensive in Gaza last month.
A UN spokesman on Wednesday said Hamas police in Gaza broke into a warehouse full of UN humanitarian supplies and seized thousands of blankets and food packages, creating a rare public clash between the international agency that feeds much of the territory and the militant group that rules it.
The incident highlighted difficulties facing donors seeking to bypass Hamas while helping Gazans survive and rebuild after Israel's three-week military offensive.
"Hamas policemen stormed into an aid warehouse in Gaza City Tuesday evening and confiscated 3,500 blankets and over 400 food parcels ready for distribution to 500 families," said UNRWA spokesman Christopher Gunness on Wednesday.
"They were armed, they seized this, they took it by force," Gunness said, terming the incident absolutely unacceptable.
Police seized the aid after UNRWA officials refused to voluntarily hand it over to the Hamas-run Ministry of Social Affairs, he said. Similar aid packages were distributed to 70,000 residents over the past two weeks, Gunness said.
Ahmad Kurd, the Hamas official in charge of the ministry, did not deny the aid was seized. Other Hamas officials defended their actions.
Hamas spokesman Taher Nunu demanded an apology and said UNRWA was spreading false news. Ihab Ghussein, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said the incident occurred because the UN was storing the blankets in an area not authorized to be distributed.
In Gaza, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum called UNRWA's decision unjustified.
He said Hamas supports UNRWA's work, but believes that some of the agency's employees were giving aid to groups attached to rival political parties.
"We as Hamas refuse all use of the people's needs for political ends," he said. "He called on UNRWA to put an end to using aid for political means, and to distribute it to all the needy equally."
UN officials said the aid was kept in a local storage facility because the organization's regular warehouses were full. The UN, human rights groups and Palestinians have often complained that a blockade by Israel and Egypt has left Gaza critically short of vital supplies.
Gaza residents are facing more hardship since Israel's devastating three-week military offensive, which ended Jan. 18. The operation, aimed at halting rocket fire by Palestinian militants, killed 1,300 including hundreds of civilians and left thousands destitute after their homes were damaged or destroyed.
Kurd said the Hamas government had already distributed $50 million in emergency relief to residents and promised additional payments for hardship cases.
Gunness said this was the first time Hamas seized UNRWA supplies. "Does anyone really think that the Americans, who are our single largest donor, or the Europeans, who are our largest multination donor, would give us aid in the generous way they do if they thought that aid would go to terrorists?" Gunness asked.
The West Bank-based government of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, a fierce rival of Hamas, was also planning to send $600 million in aid, hoping to earn the loyalty of Gaza residents. Hamas expelled forces loyal to Abbas when it overran Gaza in 2007.
Egypt is to host an international conference in coordination with Abbas's Palestinian Authority on March 2 on Gaza reconstruction, whose cost has been estimated at $2 billion. Saudi Arabia has said it would donate e1 billion.
Last week, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit urged Europe to help with fast aid for the Gaza Strip, saying the reconstruction meeting would require damage assessments and the support of the European Union, the United Nations and others.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Hamas Steals Aid, UN Actually Notices
Original article
MIDDLE EAST | Wed, Feb 4, 2009 at 4:10:29 pm PST
The thugs of Hamas have been stealing food and blankets and other aid meant for needy Palestinians for a long time, and it’s finally gotten so obvious that not even the United Nations can keep quiet about it any more.
Meanwhile, after screeching to the heavens that Israel committed war crimes and deliberately targeted that school in Gaza, the UN now says, “Oops, our bad.”
What about all those wire service photographs showing pools of blood and bodies inside the school? Can anyone say, “staged?”
MIDDLE EAST | Wed, Feb 4, 2009 at 4:10:29 pm PST
The thugs of Hamas have been stealing food and blankets and other aid meant for needy Palestinians for a long time, and it’s finally gotten so obvious that not even the United Nations can keep quiet about it any more.
JERUSALEM – A U.N. spokesman says Hamas police in Gaza have seized thousands of blankets and food parcels meant for needy residents.
Spokesman Christopher Gunness says Hamas police raided a U.N. warehouse in Gaza City on Tuesday evening. He says police snatched 3,500 blankets and more than 400 food parcels.
The aid is vital now because Gazans are facing hardship after Israel’s three-week military offensive against Hamas.
Meanwhile, after screeching to the heavens that Israel committed war crimes and deliberately targeted that school in Gaza, the UN now says, “Oops, our bad.”
The United Nations has retracted a claim that an Israeli strike which killed more than 40 people in northern Gaza city of Jabaliya last month hit a school run by a UN agency.
“The humanitarian coordinator would like to clarify that the shelling, and all of the fatalities, took place outside rather than inside the school,” the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in its latest weekly update on the situation in Gaza.
What about all those wire service photographs showing pools of blood and bodies inside the school? Can anyone say, “staged?”
Thursday, January 22, 2009
What civilian aid buys in Gaza
Original article
by Robert Ivker
FrontPage Magazine, January 12, 2009
As Israeli troops push deeper into the Gaza Strip, the international community is crying out for humanitarian aid to civilians not engaged in the fighting. The problem is that these funds rarely reach the intended recipients. The following is a partial list of how Hamas has spent much of its donor funds since Israel's unilateral disengagement from Gaza in 2005:
1. Qassam Rockets: The most common rocket launched out of Gaza is the Qassam. Made of a simple steel casing and a number of easy-to-find household items, these projectiles have wreaked havoc in Southern Israel, forcing civilians to scramble for cover. On one December day alone, Hamas fired 60 Qassams into Israeli territory. At roughly $200 a piece, these rockets can be built with virtually no limitations.
2. Tunnels: Underground tunnels connecting Gaza to Egypt's Sinai Peninsula are the lifeline of both the Hamas economy. They also ensure that Hamas maintains its military capabilities. Published reports estimate that there were close to 1,000 operational tunnels before Israel destroyed untold numbers of them as part of Operation Cast lead. The cost of construction of a "standard" 1500 square foot passageway ranges between $60,000 and $90,000. Larger tunnels with more elaborate designs can run as high as $150,000 to complete. Once built, Hamas also profits by taxing the owners of the tunnels.
3. Salaries of Fighters: An October 2007 Reuters report revealed that Hamas pays the salaries of 10,000 security officials and 10,000 civil servants in cash. Paying them in cash makes accountability to the international community impossible. It also reduces the waiting time for Hamas fighters. "I received my salary from a suitcase, we did not have to stand in line at banks," said one Hamas fighter. Published reports put the monthly payroll of the organization at roughly $9 million.
4. Financial support for family members of terrorists: Through a network of charities, the family members of "martyrs"- suicide bombers, rocket launchers and snipers- all receive support from Hamas. The Israeli government believes that each family gets a one time gift of between $500 and $5,000. After that, they get monthly stipends of $100. In total, these checks can add up to about $30 million annually.
5. More Advanced Rockets: While the primitive, first generation Qassams are more than adequate to terrorize Israeli towns in the area known as the Gaza Belt, more sophisticated rockets, capable of reaching farther into Israel and able to cause more serious damage, are on the way. From a strategic standpoint, the repeated pounding of Sderot –with a population of just about 24,000 and limited industry- might be described by military analysts as more of a nuisance than an existential threat. Recent attacks using more sophisticated rockets on the port city of Ashkelon have raised the stakes. With a population of over 100,000, a petroleum pipeline and other important infrastructure projects, the rockets raining on Ashkelon now pose a more serious threat. According to one rocketeer interviewed in the Christian Science Monitor, the cost of the new rockets capable of hitting Ashkelon was $900. How many such rockets now exist is unknown.
6. Media: Hamas has spent millions on propaganda. The Al-Aqsa television station doles out a regular diet of anti-Israel and anti-Semitic material. Western media has reported on Farfel, a character similar to Mickey Mouse, who urges Palestinan children to kill Israelis. In another video (aired recently on MSNBC), a Hamas puppet show features a young boy stabbing the American President to death, while declaring that the White House will soon be turned into a mosque. "Al -Aqsa is more than a television station," says Mark Dubowitz of the Coalition Against Terrorist Media. "It is an operational weapon supporting the terrorist activity of Hamas. It is involved in recruitment of terrorists, fundraising and even pre-attack surveillance." The Hamas budget for this virulent television channel is unknown.
Undoubtedly, aid is desperately needed for the people of Gaza. The problem is that international charitable funds rarely find their way into the hands of the innocent who need it most. To this day, Hamas continues to flaunt international law by diverting humanitarian aid to jihadist activities. Sadly, the more the international community tries to help, the stronger Hamas gets. The Gaza war continues.
_____________________________________
Robert Ivker is a missile defense analyst for Palestinian Rocket Report. He is a former journalist at the United Nations and author of One Town's Terror: 9/11, Iraq and Burlington, Vermont (2006).
by Robert Ivker
FrontPage Magazine, January 12, 2009
As Israeli troops push deeper into the Gaza Strip, the international community is crying out for humanitarian aid to civilians not engaged in the fighting. The problem is that these funds rarely reach the intended recipients. The following is a partial list of how Hamas has spent much of its donor funds since Israel's unilateral disengagement from Gaza in 2005:
1. Qassam Rockets: The most common rocket launched out of Gaza is the Qassam. Made of a simple steel casing and a number of easy-to-find household items, these projectiles have wreaked havoc in Southern Israel, forcing civilians to scramble for cover. On one December day alone, Hamas fired 60 Qassams into Israeli territory. At roughly $200 a piece, these rockets can be built with virtually no limitations.
2. Tunnels: Underground tunnels connecting Gaza to Egypt's Sinai Peninsula are the lifeline of both the Hamas economy. They also ensure that Hamas maintains its military capabilities. Published reports estimate that there were close to 1,000 operational tunnels before Israel destroyed untold numbers of them as part of Operation Cast lead. The cost of construction of a "standard" 1500 square foot passageway ranges between $60,000 and $90,000. Larger tunnels with more elaborate designs can run as high as $150,000 to complete. Once built, Hamas also profits by taxing the owners of the tunnels.
3. Salaries of Fighters: An October 2007 Reuters report revealed that Hamas pays the salaries of 10,000 security officials and 10,000 civil servants in cash. Paying them in cash makes accountability to the international community impossible. It also reduces the waiting time for Hamas fighters. "I received my salary from a suitcase, we did not have to stand in line at banks," said one Hamas fighter. Published reports put the monthly payroll of the organization at roughly $9 million.
4. Financial support for family members of terrorists: Through a network of charities, the family members of "martyrs"- suicide bombers, rocket launchers and snipers- all receive support from Hamas. The Israeli government believes that each family gets a one time gift of between $500 and $5,000. After that, they get monthly stipends of $100. In total, these checks can add up to about $30 million annually.
5. More Advanced Rockets: While the primitive, first generation Qassams are more than adequate to terrorize Israeli towns in the area known as the Gaza Belt, more sophisticated rockets, capable of reaching farther into Israel and able to cause more serious damage, are on the way. From a strategic standpoint, the repeated pounding of Sderot –with a population of just about 24,000 and limited industry- might be described by military analysts as more of a nuisance than an existential threat. Recent attacks using more sophisticated rockets on the port city of Ashkelon have raised the stakes. With a population of over 100,000, a petroleum pipeline and other important infrastructure projects, the rockets raining on Ashkelon now pose a more serious threat. According to one rocketeer interviewed in the Christian Science Monitor, the cost of the new rockets capable of hitting Ashkelon was $900. How many such rockets now exist is unknown.
6. Media: Hamas has spent millions on propaganda. The Al-Aqsa television station doles out a regular diet of anti-Israel and anti-Semitic material. Western media has reported on Farfel, a character similar to Mickey Mouse, who urges Palestinan children to kill Israelis. In another video (aired recently on MSNBC), a Hamas puppet show features a young boy stabbing the American President to death, while declaring that the White House will soon be turned into a mosque. "Al -Aqsa is more than a television station," says Mark Dubowitz of the Coalition Against Terrorist Media. "It is an operational weapon supporting the terrorist activity of Hamas. It is involved in recruitment of terrorists, fundraising and even pre-attack surveillance." The Hamas budget for this virulent television channel is unknown.
Undoubtedly, aid is desperately needed for the people of Gaza. The problem is that international charitable funds rarely find their way into the hands of the innocent who need it most. To this day, Hamas continues to flaunt international law by diverting humanitarian aid to jihadist activities. Sadly, the more the international community tries to help, the stronger Hamas gets. The Gaza war continues.
_____________________________________
Robert Ivker is a missile defense analyst for Palestinian Rocket Report. He is a former journalist at the United Nations and author of One Town's Terror: 9/11, Iraq and Burlington, Vermont (2006).
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Hamas hijack's Gaza aid envoy, media silent
Original article
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Much of the Mainstream Media coverage of Israel's offensive in Gaza was littered with the usual stupidity. Using typical statements, like "tit for tat," or "cycle of violence." the media did its best to find a moral equivalence between the Hamas terrorism and Israel's attempts to prevent that terror. Those same newscasts that displayed of the destruction in Gaza very rarely showed the Horrors of the Negev Communities such as Sderot.
That same media even used noble sounding adjectives for Hamas like DEFIANT. But Israel was described as seeking revenge.
According to President Obama's PLO Buddy Rashid Khalidi the reason for the media bias is simple, they are getting all of their information from Hamas:
Even though Israel withdrew from Gaza, the media is still doing its best to protect the Hamas image. AFTER the "cease-fire" an aid convoy from Jordan, was attacked and hijacked. That's News RIGHT? Especially with all of the whining about the "human rights crisis" in Gaza. Well except for the Mann News Service that operates out of the West Bank, nobody noticed (or nobody wanted to bring it up).
See more below:
Report: Jordanian aid convoy hijacked in Gaza
Bethlehem – Ma’an – The Jordanian news agency Petra reported on Tuesday that armed men held up an aid convoy after it crossed into the Gaza Strip.
The agency reported that armed men fired at the trucks and diverted them to private warehouses after they passed through the Kerem Shalom border crossing, an Israeli-controlled crossing used primarily for shipments of humanitarian aid.
The supplies had been donated by the Hashemite Jordanian charity organization. The trucks earlier crossed into the West Bank using the Allenby Bridge and then proceed to Gaza.
According to the report, the charity had coordinated in advance with UNRWA, the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees, to receive the shipment in its warehouses after it entered Gaza.
Also according to the report, UNRWA has suspended other aid shipments as the trucks and drivers are still being held in Gaza. Negotiations are reportedly being held for their release.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Much of the Mainstream Media coverage of Israel's offensive in Gaza was littered with the usual stupidity. Using typical statements, like "tit for tat," or "cycle of violence." the media did its best to find a moral equivalence between the Hamas terrorism and Israel's attempts to prevent that terror. Those same newscasts that displayed of the destruction in Gaza very rarely showed the Horrors of the Negev Communities such as Sderot.
That same media even used noble sounding adjectives for Hamas like DEFIANT. But Israel was described as seeking revenge.
According to President Obama's PLO Buddy Rashid Khalidi the reason for the media bias is simple, they are getting all of their information from Hamas:
The rest of the world sees what’s going on, because they’re taking the feeds by Palestinian journalists in Gaza, and the pictures and images by themselves and the numbers that you recited tell the story.
Even though Israel withdrew from Gaza, the media is still doing its best to protect the Hamas image. AFTER the "cease-fire" an aid convoy from Jordan, was attacked and hijacked. That's News RIGHT? Especially with all of the whining about the "human rights crisis" in Gaza. Well except for the Mann News Service that operates out of the West Bank, nobody noticed (or nobody wanted to bring it up).
See more below:
Report: Jordanian aid convoy hijacked in Gaza
Bethlehem – Ma’an – The Jordanian news agency Petra reported on Tuesday that armed men held up an aid convoy after it crossed into the Gaza Strip.
The agency reported that armed men fired at the trucks and diverted them to private warehouses after they passed through the Kerem Shalom border crossing, an Israeli-controlled crossing used primarily for shipments of humanitarian aid.
The supplies had been donated by the Hashemite Jordanian charity organization. The trucks earlier crossed into the West Bank using the Allenby Bridge and then proceed to Gaza.
According to the report, the charity had coordinated in advance with UNRWA, the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees, to receive the shipment in its warehouses after it entered Gaza.
Also according to the report, UNRWA has suspended other aid shipments as the trucks and drivers are still being held in Gaza. Negotiations are reportedly being held for their release.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Hamas raids aid trucks, sells supplies
Original article
Hamas on Monday raided some 100 aid trucks that Israel had allowed into Gaza, stole their contents and sold them to the highest bidders.
The IDF said that since terminal activity is coordinated with UNRWA and the Red Cross, Israel could do nothing to prevent such raids, Israel Radio reported.
Between 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., the army had ceased all military activity in Gaza and once again established a "humanitarian corridor" to help facilitate the transfer of the supplies.
The Kerem Shalom and Karni crossings had been opened to allow in the aid trucks.
Security officials at Kerem Shalom thwarted an attempt to smuggle electrical goods, disguised as humanitarian supplies, into Gaza. The electrical goods included computers, infra-red cameras, ovens, microwaves and other electronic equipment.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak has forbidden the entry of electronics to Gaza since the goods do not fall under the category of humanitarian aid. Some electronic equipment has been let in as per an official Palestinian request, such as equipment used to repair the damaged electrical grid in Gaza.
Meanwhile, Israel is considering establishing a field hospital in the Gaza Strip to treat Palestinian civilians wounded in fighting between the IDF and Hamas.
The plan would be to establish the field hospital outside the Gaza Strip, but the IDF is also considering the possibility of erecting the hospital inside the Palestinian territory so it will be more accessible to the Palestinian population. It would be run by the IDF Medical Corps.
Also Monday, in an effort to promote Israeli humanitarian efforts in the Gaza Strip, the Defense Ministry launched a new Web site that provides a live video feed of the Kerem Shalom cargo crossing, through which international organizations have been transferring basic foods and medical supplies to Gaza.
The footage can be viewed at: http://www.mod.gov.il/pages/general/Maavar-Kerem-Shalom.asp Since the beginning of Operation Cast Lead, the IDF has facilitated the transfer of close to 900 trucks into the Gaza Strip with over 20,000 tons of basic foods and medical supplies.
According to an army estimate on Monday, slightly over 900 Palestinians have been killed since Operation Cast Lead began in December 2008. Based on intelligence and information obtained by the Gaza Coordination and Liaison Administration, the IDF has determined that at least 400 of those killed are known Hamas operatives. The IDF further believes that among the remaining 500, a significant number are also Hamas operatives.
Hamas on Monday raided some 100 aid trucks that Israel had allowed into Gaza, stole their contents and sold them to the highest bidders.
The IDF said that since terminal activity is coordinated with UNRWA and the Red Cross, Israel could do nothing to prevent such raids, Israel Radio reported.
Between 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., the army had ceased all military activity in Gaza and once again established a "humanitarian corridor" to help facilitate the transfer of the supplies.
The Kerem Shalom and Karni crossings had been opened to allow in the aid trucks.
Security officials at Kerem Shalom thwarted an attempt to smuggle electrical goods, disguised as humanitarian supplies, into Gaza. The electrical goods included computers, infra-red cameras, ovens, microwaves and other electronic equipment.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak has forbidden the entry of electronics to Gaza since the goods do not fall under the category of humanitarian aid. Some electronic equipment has been let in as per an official Palestinian request, such as equipment used to repair the damaged electrical grid in Gaza.
Meanwhile, Israel is considering establishing a field hospital in the Gaza Strip to treat Palestinian civilians wounded in fighting between the IDF and Hamas.
The plan would be to establish the field hospital outside the Gaza Strip, but the IDF is also considering the possibility of erecting the hospital inside the Palestinian territory so it will be more accessible to the Palestinian population. It would be run by the IDF Medical Corps.
Also Monday, in an effort to promote Israeli humanitarian efforts in the Gaza Strip, the Defense Ministry launched a new Web site that provides a live video feed of the Kerem Shalom cargo crossing, through which international organizations have been transferring basic foods and medical supplies to Gaza.
The footage can be viewed at: http://www.mod.gov.il/pages/general/Maavar-Kerem-Shalom.asp Since the beginning of Operation Cast Lead, the IDF has facilitated the transfer of close to 900 trucks into the Gaza Strip with over 20,000 tons of basic foods and medical supplies.
According to an army estimate on Monday, slightly over 900 Palestinians have been killed since Operation Cast Lead began in December 2008. Based on intelligence and information obtained by the Gaza Coordination and Liaison Administration, the IDF has determined that at least 400 of those killed are known Hamas operatives. The IDF further believes that among the remaining 500, a significant number are also Hamas operatives.
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