Amnesty international tells israel to end illegal blockade of Gaza

Source : http://www.tehrantimes.com/world/112499-amnesty-international-tells-israel-to-end-illegal-blockade-of-gaza-

Amnesty International has called on the Israeli regime to immediately end the illegal 5-year blockade it has imposed on the Gaza Strip, which has left many struggling for humanitarian supplies. “Israel must immediately lift its blockade on the Gaza Strip, including by allowing the delivery of fuel and other essential supplies into the territory without restrictions,” Amnesty said in a statement issued on Sunday, Al-Alam reported.  The rights organization also warned of a prolonged humanitarian crisis in Gaza due to fuel shortage ahead of winter. Over 1.7 million people of Gaza are living without power since the territory’s sole power plant was forced to shut down last month due to fuel shortage, Amnesty said. “This latest harsh setback has exacerbated the assault on the dignity of Palestinians in Gaza and the massive denial of rights they have experienced for more than six years because of Israel’s blockade, together with restrictions imposed by Egypt,” said Philip Luther, the Middle East and North Africa director at Amnesty International. Luther added that the blockade “has collectively punished Gaza’s population in violation of international law.” “The power plant shutdown has further affected all aspects of daily life, and the Israeli authorities must lift the blockade immediately, starting by allowing urgently needed fuel supplies into the Strip and working with all relevant parties to avert a prolonged humanitarian crisis this winter.” Israel imposed an all-out land, aerial, and naval blockade on Gaza in June 2007.The siege has had a disastrous impact on the humanitarian and economic situation in the impoverished enclave, having turned the territory into the world’s largest open-air prison.In recent months, fuel and electricity shortages in Gaza have worsened as the Egyptian military has blocked supply tunnels leading into the region. The underground tunnels serve as a lifeline for the Palestinians in Gaza. The blockaded silver is now experiencing daily power outages of up to 16 hours. Hospitals, homes, water and sanitation plants as well as businesses have also been affected by the serious energy shortage. The power cut has caused the failure of sewerage and water plants. It has also put the lives of many hospitalized patients in danger. According to the UN, all 291 water and wastewater facilities in the Gaza Strip are now relying on standby generators, which are also affected by the fuel shortages. Prominent political thinker Noam Chomsky has described the Gaza Strip as “the world’s largest open air prison."

Source: Agencies

Israel to pay Turkey "tens of million of dollars" for flotilla killings: reportAl

Source  :  Al Akhbar English

Israel will pay Turkey “tens of millions of dollars” to compensate the families of activists killed in the 2010 Gaza flotilla raid as part of a deal to restore diplomatic relations between the two countries, a Turkish source told Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

The unnamed source said the amount of the blood money to be transferred to the families of nine activists shot dead when Israeli troops boarded their vessel has yet to be determined, but will be in the tens of millions, according to the report published Tuesday.

But, the source added, the proceedings to restore ties may be hampered by Israel’s demands that Turkey drops all charges against the troops involved in the flotilla massacre. The source noted that Turkey cannot legally force the families of the victims to drop the charges.

“The only thing is to try to persuade their families to withdraw their claims, but there is no way to force them to do so,” Haaretz quoted the source as saying.

Israel and Turkey enjoyed warm relations until the May 2010 raid on the six-ship flotilla which was en route to deliver humanitarian supplies to the besieged Gaza Strip. Israeli commandos boarded one of the ships, the Mavi Marmara, from helicopters and speedboats before opening fire on them.

The Jewish state claimed that the attack was an act of as self-defense after activists used sticks and knives to prevent the commandos from hijacking their vessel, which was in international waters.

Troops shot some of the activists at point-blank range, while others were shot from behind as they attempted to flee.

Israel had refused to apologize for the attack until last week when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan. For his part, Erdogan accepted the apology.

The two countries are now in talks to restore relations. Ynet reported Tuesday that Turkey’s foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, said his country’s normalization with Israel hangs on three conditions: that the Jewish state apologizes for the massacre, that it offer compensation, and that it end the crippling blockade of Gaza.

Following the diplomatic rift three years ago, Erdogan sought recognition as a champion of the Palestinian cause, and made statements to that effect.

But even after breaking off diplomatic relations, Turkey maintained its military, economic, and intelligence ties to Israel.

The Turkish premier last November described Israel as a “terrorist state” and accused it of “ethnic cleansing” during the eight-day Israeli assault on Gaza that month.

And earlier this month he said Zionism was “a crime against humanity,” but has now backtracked on the remark as he attempts to repair the strained relations with his former ally.

Erdogan, who assumed office in 2003, travelled to Jerusalem and met with then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on 1 May 2005. Sharon served as defense minister during the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, which caused an estimated 20,000 deaths, earning him the designation the “Butcher of Beirut.”

More than three years later Erdogan welcomed then-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Ankara. Olmert’s forces had invaded Lebanon in July 2006 which killed over 1,200 people. Five days after their meeting in Turkey, Olmert launched the 2008-2009 assault on Gaza, killing over 1,400 people.