On donor complicity

This blog had earlier noted how the attitudes of the international community towards 'reconstruction' aid to Palestine in fact cements the occupation. Now a group of Palestinian and Israeli NGOs have come out with a report, calling on international donors not to bail out Israel. The report states that donors "by repeatedly covering the cost of the occupation, without demanding accountability from Israel," are "implicitly encouraging violations of international law".

The report asks international donors to "demand specific, concrete assurances from the State of Israel." It also stated that reconstruction aid must be accompanied by "strict conditions and assurances from the State of Israel. Otherwise, the taxpayers of the international community will continue to support an endless cycle of aid-destruction-aid-reconstruction."

It is an encouraging sign that the United Nations has now demanded that Israel pay for the damage done to UN facilities during the Gaza massacre.

Newslinks: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Blogs: Röda Malmö, HD Sören, Esbati

Ban-Ki Moon visits Gaza, demands an investigation on Israeli attacks

UN Secretary-General Ban-Ki Moon became the first world leader to see the devastation of the Gaza massacre with his own eyes. In regards to the targetting of U.N. buildings in Gaza by Israeli forces, the Secretary-General demanded that be an investigation of the events. The U.N. headquarters in Gaza were bombed with white phosphorus, destroying a large cache of humanitarian supplies.

Let's not forget that this was not the first time Israel has targetted U.N. buildings. In 1996 Israel bombed a U.N. building in Qana, southern Lebanon, killing 106 civilians who had sought refugeee in the building and four U.N. soldiers. The Israeli state must put to trial for its crimes, so that there be no more massacres like in Gaza or Qana.

"Israel stops aid convoy en route to Gaza from Hebron"

Ma'an News Agency reports that an aid convey from Hebron, West Bank, to Gaza has been seized by Israeli Occupation Forces today. The convoy consisted of two trucks belonging to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.

"genocide"

In the words of UN General Assembly president Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann, "The number of victims in Gaza is increasing by the day... The situation is untenable. It's genocide" (source; al-Jazeera)

"These atrocities are mediaeval carnage in modern times" - Bangladesh speaks out against Israeli aggression at U.N. session in Geneva

Whilst EU and USA keep propping up Israel in the midst of on-going war crimes, new Bangladeshi government has continued on the line of sharply condemning the Israeli assault on the Gaza strip. Bangladesh has dubbed the aggression as a flagrant violation of human rights and international humanitarian laws.

Bangladesh sponsored a special Human Rights Council (HRC) on January 9, 2009, along with the OIC, Non-Aligned Movement and Arab groups, to discuss the developments in occupied Palestine. At the session the Bangladeshi ambassador at the U.N. in Geneva, Debapriya Bhattacharya, said that "These atrocities are mediaeval carnage in modern times", referring to the conduct of Israel.

Bhattacharya demanded that the parties immediately implement the resolution adopted by the U.N. Security Council. The Bangladeshi government has also called on Israel to stop its interference with deliveries of humanitarian supplies.

Source: Daily Star

Demo in Kiev at United Nations office

Bahrain: Vigil at U.N. Headquarters

As one of many protests against the Gaza massacre in Bahrain, a vigil, to protest the inhuman Zionist aggression against the people of Gaza and to demand argent ceasefire, was organized outside the U.N. HQ in Manama on the evening of January 6, 2009.

The vigil was organized by ash-Shabeeba Youth Association, as part of a coordinated pan-Arab youth protest. Five other friendly organizations and members of the World Federation of Democratic Youth organized similar protests simultaneously.

News reports: 1, 2, 3

Manifestation in São Paolo, Brazil, against violence in Gaza, demands UN intervention

Article at Zero Hora.