By Iman Badawi Staff Writer — IslamOnline.net
Every day when I read or listen to the news about the situation in the besieged Gaza Strip, I feel as if all countries worldwide had an undeclared agreement of killing all Palestinians there. Each time I read about tragedies that are happening every day to the Gazan people, a picture of merciless hands chocking to death a helpless person while attendees are watching passively passes through my mind. If you are a young Palestinian, you will be more likely to be arrested by the Israeli army for “security reasons,” you may even spend some time in jail for no reason at all. But to wake up one day to find that an Israeli decision turned your hometown into a big, open-air prison for you and all other citizens is Hell itself, and this is what happened in the Gaza Strip since June 2007 till now.What’s Happening?The Gaza Strip is linked with the outside world through five crossing points, four of which are in the
Occupied
Territories: Karam Abu Salem, Sofa, Al-Mintar, Beit Hanoun (Erez), while the fifth one, the Rafah International Crossing Point, locates on the borders with
Egypt.
Israel has control over the five crossing points that were totally paralyzed after the blockade.
Israel does not allow the movement of people nor goods to and from the Gaza Strip except in some individual cases through Erez Crossing Point only for some staff of foreign institutions and the most critical health cases, which it often refuses to accept.
The Rafah International Crossing Point, which links Gaza Strip to
Egypt, is supposed to be opened for the movement of individuals and goods, but it witnessed repeated closures that exceeded months over the past two years. Since June 2007, the crossing was closed completely, which led to the accumulation of thousands of citizens who became unable to direct their businesses or complete their studies and treatment outside
Gaza.
Israel has imposed strict siege over basic foodstuffs and as a result, the Gaza Strip has suffered a great shortage of foodstuffs, which led to a sharp rise in prices.The suffocating siege since June 2007 is negatively reflected on all aspects of people’s life there. As deterioration in the humanitarian side continued, it was followed by warnings of the collapse of the health sector after the total collapse of the economic sector.Siege Impact on YouthThe siege has negatively reflected on the youth and has even affected their future. Many students lost this school year because they were stranded on the crossing points, unable to go to their schools in
Gaza. Students have been denied passage to their universities abroad, which is also a form of oppression.Raofa, a 14-year-old Palestinian student stranded in
Egypt with her mother, said, “We suffered a lot, I miss my father, sisters, and brother very much. I feel so sad when I see the Egyptian students go to their schools and I can’t, I missed a whole school year!”The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is getting worse every day, more sick people die for not being able to travel abroad to undergo much-needed surgeries, while shattered families are dying emotionally and psychologically on the borders for not being able to reunite with their kids who are on one side and their parents on the other of closed crossing points.Mohye, a 19-year-old student living in Gaza with some of his brothers and sisters, while his father, mother, two brothers, and a newborn baby sister whom he did not see are stranded in Al-Arish, Egypt, told me, “I miss my family very much, I want to see my baby sister, and I almost forgot how my father and mother look like, I haven’t seen them for over seven months now.”Furthermore, the shortage of foodstuff, fuel, and medicines because of the Israeli siege is driving the Gazan people to more tragic conditions. The blockade caused an imbalance in the Palestinian economy, the prices have raised 10 folds.“The siege is a subjugation of the meaning of humanity, and who can live without dignity? We are living on hope, and our hearts break on the barriers, our tears do not stop for the patients in hospitals, words cannot describe our sufferings. Yes, we’re subjected to all kinds of mass torture and systematic repression,” said Kobtan a 28-year-old Palestinian.“Unemployment rates are getting higher every day, thousands of farmers and employees have become out of work. If the siege and the blockade continue, there will be a disaster in
Gaza,” said Khames, a 22-year-old man living in
Gaza.As human beings and Muslims, it is our duty to do our best in order to stop this blockade. Every Muslim has to give a helping hand to those stranded and besieged people according to what Prophet Mohammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “He who among you sees something abominable should modify it with his hand; and if he has not strength enough to do that, then he should change it with his tongue; and if he has not strength enough to do even that, then he should (at least abhor it) from his heart, and that is the least of faith” (Muslim).How We Can HelpIn spite of the Egyptian government attitude when they deployed hundreds of soldiers to stop about 200 Egyptian activists (I was one of them) who decided to visit the stranded Palestinians in Al-Arish and Rafah to pass on foods, clothes, and medicines. Some of us slinked to Al-Arish and gave them some of the supplies, which were not enough for 1,700 person. As a token of emotional support, we slinked again to spend `Eid Al-Adha with the stranded Palestinians to wipe off their tears for spending the feast away from home and family. We brought them some food, medicines, and supplies, but they are still in need, and more besieged Palestinian in
Gaza are in need of more.Some charity foundations are helping the sick and poor in
Palestine. If you want to contribute in reducing the disastrous effects of the siege on the people of
Gaza, please support these charity foundations:Inma-Relief and Development
Address:
Shejaia Mansoura St., Gaza
City,
Gaza Strip, Palestinian.
E-mail: inmagaza@yahoo.com
Telefax: +00970282802133
Account No.: 1106100 – Bank of Palestine LTD. Al-Remal Branch, Gaza
Bank ID number: 89/454 REMAL ,
GAZA
CITY ,
PALESTINE. swift palsps 22
Shorouk
Youth
Center
Address:
Shahadah St
, Bani Suheyla, Khan Younis, Gaza Strip,
Palestine
Telephone: +00972 8 2075940
Telefax: +00972 8 2071960
Email: shourouk_1999@yahoo.com
Account No.: 1054546 – Bank of Palestine LTD – Khan Younis BranchThe questions now are: For how long is this tragedy going to continue? And how can we stop this catastrophe?SourceFreegaza.ps: Popular Committee Against Siege. Accessed 1 Jan. 2008.“Statistics.” Popular Committee Against Siege. Accessed 1 Jan. 2008.
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