Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR)

Gaza:  War on civilians in the world's largest open-air prison[1]

With thanks in part to $80,000 dollars in generous donations made to Grassroots International in response to the Gaza Crisis, our partners in Palestine have begun the process of rebuilding their communities.   

In order to highlight the impact of the siege and closure of the Gaza Strip on the civilian population, PCHR is publishing a series of "Narratives Under Siege" on our website. These short articles are based on personal testimonies and experiences of life in the Gaza Strip, and we hope they will highlight the restrictions, and violations, being imposed on the civilians of Gaza.

http://www.pchrgaza.org/files/campaigns/english/gaza_closure/Narratives.html 

Please circulate these narratives as widely as you can.

Many thanks from PCHR.

It is hard not to be skeptical about Annapolis. As author and activist Alice Rothchild noted in a recent article, "Perhaps a more honest name for the current madness is not the realization of the Road Map, but rather the steady creation of Road Blocks that are rapidly crushing the hopes for a viable two-state solution." A lame duck Bush Administration (in any case not known for its diplomatic efforts) is, after 7 long years of neglect, trying to jump start peace in the Middle East.

Israeli Government Openly Decides, Apparently for the First Time, to Impose Collective Punishment on 1.5 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip

Petitioners: The Decision is Illegal and will Damage the Health, Safety and Welfare of the Population of Gaza

Grassroots International notes with alarm both 40 years of Israeli occupation of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem and the escalating factional violence. Will you support Palestinians’ grassroots human rights efforts?

Palestinians face increasing levels of poverty and food insecurity, and continued theft and destruction of their precious land and water resources. On top of this assault, Palestinian factions battle one another in the streets leaving the civilian population vulnerable and unsure where to turn.

For the 3rd consecutive day, Gaza City has witnessed unjustifiable violent internal fighting, and an atmosphere of tension has spread over Gaza that is not less violent than that which has spread as a result of the offensive that has been launched by Israeli Occupation Forces for nearly a month. Since Monday evening, violence has extended to most areas in the Gaza Strip from the north to the south, and militants have deployed in the streets, at the entrances of towns and near governmental headquarters and security compounds. Militants from Hamas and Fatah movements have used various kinds of weapons and have occupied a number of official buildings belonging to the Palestinian presidency and government.

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) works to protect human rights and promote the rule of law, and was recognized as an effective voice for the human rights of the Palestinian people through awards such as the Human Rights Prize from the French Republic. PCHR has gained an international reputation as an independent voice on human rights vis-à-vis both Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

Amid yesterday's celebrations of election victories in the U.S., it would have been easy to miss the news of the pre-dawn shelling of several homes in Gaza by the Israeli military. This latest indiscriminate attack killed 18 civilians, including women, children and 11 members of the same family.

Dare we hope that the latest power shift in the U.S. will give the Palestinians cause for hope and a way out of nearly 40 years of brutal occupation?