Ramallah, 12-04-08: The killing of 8 Palestinians - including 4 children - and 3 Israelis in separate attacks yesterday has brought the number of Palestinians and Israelis killed since Annapolis to 350 and 18 respectively. Among the victims are 44 Palestinian children.
Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi, Secretary General of the PNI stated that "the death of any person - Israeli, Palestinian or otherwise - is tragic, especially children. But the number of victims on each side clearly shows who are the aggressors and who are the victims. The Palestinian people is under attack."
Israel has deliberately created a humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip through incremental steps that started more than two years ago, immediately after Hamas‘ electoral victory in January 2006.
While Israeli officials allege that they will not allow a humanitarian crisis to unfold in the Gaza Strip, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) stated recently that "Gaza is on the threshold of becoming the first territory to be intentionally reduced to a state of abject destitution."
Dr Barghouthi insisted that responsibility for the situation in Gaza lies entirely with the Israeli government, and that the pretext of security cannot be used to justify collective punishment against 1.5 million people. "The question here is about security for everyone not only Israelis. Security cannot be a zero sum game. All parties involved must benefit from mutually agreed security decisions. Israel‘s insistence on unilateral security measures that neglect the welfare of the Palestinian population, and its imposition of a crippling siege on the Gazan people will not bring peace," he added.
Dr Barghouthi concluded: "The Israeli government can ensure the security of its people by lifting its siege on Gaza, retracting its decision to declare Gaza a ‘hostile entity‘, ending its military aggression against the Gazan people, and implementing a comprehensive,reciprocal ceasefire, thereby ensuring the security of Palestinians too."