indymedia.org.il - Commentary

Critical Health Issues in Gaza

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 08:45:56 +0000

Critical Health Issues in Gaza - by Stephen Lendman

Since locked down and isolated by Israel, Gaza's experienced systemic crisis. Its health system especially was gravely harmed.

Many services and life-saving treatments aren't available. Accessing it elsewhere is uncertain and tenuous. Treating chronic illnesses is jeopardized by inadequate medicines and proper equipment.

Regular Israel incursions and air attacks exacerbate bad conditions. So do deficient fuel and electricity supplies, as well as unsafe drinking water and other health hazards.

Conditions are getting worse, not better. In September Physicians for Human Rights/Israel (PHR/I) said:

"Israel glaringly violate(s) the rights of Palestinians to health, each time in a different manner." It said the right to health "extends to (its) underlying determinants, (including) food and nutrition, housing, access to safe and potable water and adequate sanitation, safe and healthy working conditions, and a healthy environment."

By imposing draconian impediments, Palestinians, especially Gazans, lack proper health services. As a result, lives are lost and human suffering aggravated.

"As these lines are being written, we are witnessing a grave crisis in the Gaza health system." Its Ministry of Health reports dozens of medications in short supply or exhausted. Moreover, 123 types of medical equipment are unavailable. Dozens of others need replacing.

Israel's Gaza policy is "humanitarian minimum." Often it's non-existent. Gaza lurches from one crisis to another. Duct tape solutions won't solve it.

Absent change, "it is difficult to anticipate an end to the daily suffering of the sick and infirm individuals residing in these territories," especially besieged Gazans.

As an occupying power, Israel bears full responsibility. Nonetheless, it willfully and systematically breaches its international law obligations. As a result, Gazans suffer horrifically, especially on accessing healthcare when it's most needed.

On December 4, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) expressed concern over medical shortages in Gaza's hospitals, saying:

Critical shortages of medicines affect healthcare. Repercussions are potentially catastrophic, "especially (for) patients and those suffering chronic diseases...."

According to Ministry of Health Director General of Pharmacy Dr. Muneer al-Bursh, health facilities and warehouses exhausted 120 essential medicines and 140 medical goods.

In 2011, Ramallah's Ministry of Health supplied only 20% of Gaza's medicinal needs. Shortages of goods like Blood Line used in dialyses threatens the lives of 400 patients currently.

Moreover, medicines for cancer, anesthesia, immune system inhibiters for kidney transplant patients (received abroad), and hemophilia have run out entirely.

At the same time, Ramallah Minister of Health director Dr. Fathi Abu Mughli said West Bank hospitals have adequate supplies. In fact, he claimed they're better stocked than in other regional countries, except when warehouse deliveries are delayed by Israeli imposed policies. Even so, alternative drugs and treatment are available.

Mahmoud Abbas and other PA officials haven't addressed the problem. As a result, dozens of lives are endangered, especially after the Ministry of Health decreased transferring critically ill patients for treatment "under the claim of rationalizing medical transfers from" Gaza.

On November 2, Ramallah's Ministry of Health decreased transfers to Israeli and other hospitals. At issue was cost, it was claimed. When possible, accessing treatment in Israel is preferable because of proximity compared to Egypt and Jordan.

Cancer patients are especially at risk. Treatment isn't available in Gaza. Often it's lacking in West Bank and East Jerusalem hospitals. As a result, "(t)wo children died as they urgently needed advanced medical treatment, but the Ministry of Health transferred them to hospitals that cannot treat their diseases."

On November 4, Mohammed Azzam Sahwil died from growth retardation and muscle atrophy. In serious condition, he was admitted to Gaza's al-Nasser Hospital's intensive care unit.

The Ministry of Health officials knew his situation. On October 25, Form No. 1 to receive medical treatment abroad was obtained. On November 2, financial coverage was gotten for treatment at Jerusalem's al-Maqassed Hospital. He was refused admittance for lack of ability to treat him.

The Ministry of Health was informed but didn't act. As a result, he died at Gaza's al-Nasser Hospital. Less than a month later, his sister, Hiba Azzam Sahwil, also succumbed from the same illness.

She also got permission for treatment abroad and financial coverage at Jerusalem's al-Maqassad Hospital. An appointment was arranged for December 13. However, she'd already deteriorated too much to help. Nonetheless, the Ministry of Health was asked to immediately transfer her to Israel's Ekhilov Hospital. It refused. On December 1, she died.

A third sibling suffers from the same disease, Ayat Azzam. She also got permission for outside treatment and financial coverage. Ramallah's Health Ministry was urged to save her. On December 1, admittance to Israel's Ekhilov Hospital was gotten.

PCHR is following her case to help. It also wrote West Bank Director General of Medical Insurance Nizar Masalma, "demanding (he) allow 24 patients who suffer from serious chronic diseases continue to receive treatment in advanced medical facilities." So far, he hasn't responded.

A Final Comment

The Palestine News & Information Agency (WAFA) headlined, "Official Warns of Israel Ethnic Cleansing Policy in (East) Jerusalem," saying:

PLO Jerusalem affairs head Ahmed Qurei warned of "Israel's quiet ethnic cleansing and displacement policy against" East Jerusalem Palestinians.

Home demolitions are responsible in East Jerusalem's Old City, as well as in Sheikh Jarrah, Silwan, and other Palestinian neighborhoods. He stressed that Israel plans Judaizing all Jerusalem, one home demolition at a time.

Meanwhile, UNWRA (UN Relief and Works Agency) spokesman Chris Gunness said 2011 Israeli home demolitions doubled last year's total.

Its research found 990 Palestinians, including 507 children, were displaced. About 515 West Bank and East Jerusalem structures were demolished. Gunness called losing a home in normal times "highly destabilizing, but in the context of occupation and annexation it often becomes lastly traumatic, especially for children."

"The United Nations calls on the Israeli authorities to abide by their obligations under international law, of which these displacements and demolitions are a clear violation."

"Call(ing) on" has no impact. Only policy measures with teeth can help. For decades, they've been sorely lacking. As a result, Israel literally gets away with crimes of war and against humanity, including ethnically cleansing Palestinians from all land it wants for Jewish only development.

Instead of acting responsibly for justice, world leaders support Israel's worst policies. Palestinians pay dearly, especially Gazans suffocating needlessly under siege.

Moreover, according to former IDF head General (ret.) Yoav Galant, military action is needed to root out Gaza's "terror infrastructure." In other words, he urges mass murder.

In addition, Haaretz said Netanyahu cares only about power and "giving in to cronyism and vested interests."

Like America, Israel's decaying from within. Both countries use militarism, conflict and violence to solve problems. Popular needs go begging.

Palestinians and Israeli Arabs suffer horrifically. So do deprived and persecuted Americans. Both countries are global bullies. They're rogue state partners in intimidation, state terror, and torment.

Their leaders are moral cowards. Calling them democracies is ludicrous and offensive. Nations that live by the sword, die by it.

Israel and America aren't exceptions. Nor are others that learned painful lessons the hard way.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.

http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour/.

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Treating Palestinians Lawlessly

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 08:46:24 +0000

Treating Palestinians Lawlessly - by Stephen Lendman

December 11 marks the 63rd anniversary of UN Resolution 194, mandating that:

"the (Palestinian) refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbors should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return and for loss of or damage to property which, under principles of international law or in equity, should be made good by the Governments or authorities responsible."

International law enshrines this right, including:

Article 13(2) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;

Article 5(d)(ii) of the International Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination;

Article 12(4) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; and

the International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid (the Apartheid Convention).

Denying this right constitutes apartheid. Nonetheless, Israel refuses to let diaspora Palestinians return home. It calls doing so an "act of suicide," disruptive of its tenuous majority.

It cites UN Resolutions 242 and 338. They mandate political solutions for Palestine's refugee problem, exclusive of international law, human rights, equity and justice. As a result, durable solutions are blocked.

Israel calls right of return issues a privilege, not a right. Palestinian self-determination is thus severely compromised. Millions are left unprotected.

An October BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights Working Paper No. 12 headlined, "Applying International Criminal Law to Israel's Treatment of the Palestinian People," saying:

Since established in 1948, Israel institutionalized land theft and Palestinian dispossessions. Through 2009, "displaced Palestinians amounted to at least 7.1 million."

About 70% of West Bank land (including East Jerusalem) has been confiscated or subjected to restricted use. In addition, Israel's Gaza buffer zone prevents Palestinians from using 17% of their land and 35% of its arable portion.

Within Israel, 94% of land is exclusively Jewish. "The Israeli domination over the Palestinian people continues unabated and the policy of displacement, illegal acquisition of land and denial of return, repatriation, restitution and compensation has intensified recently in various areas, for example in East Jerusalem and Area C of the West Bank."

Israel displaces Palestinians violently. Indiscriminate force is used. Home demolitions and dispossessions happen regularly. Residency rights are revoked. Closure, segregation, collective punishment, expropriation, discriminatory land distribution, attacks, arrests, detentions, assassinations, torture, and settlement expansions are policy.

BADIL says:

"Palestinian displacement and dispossession are caused by a policy of forced population transfer which has been employed by the Zionist movement and the state of Israel with the aim to colonize Palestinian land and establish a Jewish demographic majority in it."

It persists despite international law prohibitions against colonialism and apartheid because world community leaders with authority to stop it don't act.

Nor do they mourn victims like Mustafa Tamimi. On December 11, thousands of Palestinians protested his killing. On December 9, a-Nabi Saleh demonstrators turned out against settlers taking their land.

A soldier fired a tear-gas canister directly at his head, critically wounding him. Evacuated to Israel's Beilinson Hospital, he died the next day. About 2,000 mourners turned out. PLC committee against settlements head Walif Assaf told them:

"They want to turn our unarmed struggle into an armed struggle. But this will not change our policy of peaceful struggle against settlements and against the occupation."

After his burial, clashes broke out as hundreds of mourners marched toward Israeli soldiers near the funeral proceeding. Some threw stones. Tear gas was fired in response.

Tamimi was the 20th person killed this way in the past eight years. B'Tselem spokeswoman Sarit Michaeli said the organization called for a full military probe into who fired the canister, who ordered it, and why it was aimed at Tamimi's head at point blank range.

Earlier in response to B'Tselem's demands, then Judea and Samaria legal advisor Col. Sharon Afek said "direct firing (of tear gas canisters) at persons is prohibited," and that "very soon, a explicit and broad directive will be issued" to prohibit it.

Later after other incidents occurred, Judea and Samaria legal advisor Major Uri Sagi told B'Tselem that "following your letter, we have again clarified to the forces operating in Central Command the rules relating to firing of tear-gas canisters at persons, including the prohibition on directly firing" them at anyone.

Other senior military officials said such firings don't occur. However, B'Tselem documented more cases in which security forces targeted protesters illegally. No one was prosecuted. Investigations were whitewashed. Soldiers literally get away with murder. Israel denies free expression and assembly violently.

On December 9, the UN General Assembly passed nine resolutions related to Palestine among 24 and two texts related to human rights and decolonization.

Several resolutions passed near unanimously. Only Israel voted against them. One called for accelerating the right of return and asked donor countries to help the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) cover costs.

Another urged Israel to reimburse UNRWA for transit charges and other financial losses sustained by delays and restrictions on movement and access.

Five resolutions referred to a report from the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories. They related to Israeli practices and obligations under Fourth Geneva.

Others dealt with the impact of Israeli settlement policies, decisions and activities related to peace process negotiations. Since 1947, Israel voted against dozens of resolutions related to its lawless policies.

A Final Comment

In a December 10 Republican candidate debate, Newt Gingrich called Palestinians "terrorists. They teach terrorism in their schools. They have textbooks that say, if there are 13 Jews and nine Jews are killed, how many Jews are left? We pay for those textbooks through our aid money."

"It's fundamentally time for somebody to have the guts to stand up and say, enough lying about the Middle East."

Gingrich also told the Jewish cable channel, "Remember there was no Palestine as a state. It was part of the Ottoman empire. (Palestinians were) an invented people who are in fact Arabs."

Except for Ron Paul on sound money, returning it to public hands, ending America's imperial wars, drug ones also, opposing police state laws, and promoting real economic growth, Republican presidential aspirants look more like a police lineup than legitimate candidates for any office.

Gingrich is one of the worst. Comments like those above show it. PLO Executive Committee Hanan Ashrawi called him out of "touch with reality."

Other Palestinian officials demanded he apologize. Inflammatory comments further damage America's tattered credibility. Gingrich's is beyond repair.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour/.

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Critical Health Issues in Gaza

Sat, 10 Dec 2011 14:12:46 +0000