 |  |  | | |  | | Dear Farhad,
Earlier this week, Israeli forces stormed a six-ship flotilla carrying relief supplies and hundreds of activists to Gaza, which has been held under blockade by Israel for the last three years. Nine passengers were killed in the violent clash and dozens more were wounded. While Israel maintains that its forces acted in self-defense, the level of lethal force used clearly appears excessive. As tensions rise, the world is struck once again by the desperate situation imposed upon the 1.4 million men, women and children trapped inside the Gaza Strip.
The UN Security Council has already been joined by a number of world leaders in calling for an impartial investigation into the incident. This is an important first step, but because of the international nature of the incident, we must push to ensure that any investigation is both international and independent. While Israel has the primary responsibility to investigate, we urge Israel to also invite relevant UN experts to actively participate in and contribute to the investigation. |  | Although the U.S. administration has asked for an impartial and credible investigation by Israel, they've been reluctant to commit to an international inquiry. But the quicker the Obama administration pushes for deeper international inquiry, the better chance there is that those responsible for the deaths are held accountable and that these same tragic events won't occur again. Tensions remain particularly high as another ship heads toward Gaza this weekend1. Urge President Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and U.S. Representative to the UN Susan Rice to demand an international inquiry into the Gaza flotilla incident and to take immediate steps to end the blockade of Gaza. In our report, "Suffocating: The Gaza Strip under Israeli Blockade2", released earlier this year, we charted how Gaza has grown increasingly isolated over the years; becoming completely cut off from the rest of the world. The blockade is a form of collective punishment in flagrant opposition to international law. It does not target armed groups but rather punishes Gaza's entire population by restricting the entry of food, medical supplies, educational equipment and building materials. Unsurprisingly, its impact falls most heavily on those most vulnerable among Gaza's people: children, the elderly and the sick. Since more than half of Gaza's population is made up of children, it becomes brutally apparent that immediate steps must be taken to lift the blockade and end the misdirected punishment. Call for international inquiry into Gaza Flotilla incident and lift the blockade of Gaza! It's now or never for Gaza. "There is no question that we need a new approach to Gaza", a US official said yesterday 3. Let President Obama hear that now is indeed the time to end the blockade of Gaza. Christoph Koettl Crisis Campaigner Amnesty International USA |
| | | | | | | Dear Farhad,
Earlier this week, Israeli forces stormed a six-ship flotilla carrying relief supplies and hundreds of activists to Gaza, which has been held under blockade by Israel for the last three years. Nine passengers were killed in the violent clash and dozens more were wounded. While Israel maintains that its forces acted in self-defense, the level of lethal force used clearly appears excessive. As tensions rise, the world is struck once again by the desperate situation imposed upon the 1.4 million men, women and children trapped inside the Gaza Strip.
The UN Security Council has already been joined by a number of world leaders in calling for an impartial investigation into the incident. This is an important first step, but because of the international nature of the incident, we must push to ensure that any investigation is both international and independent. While Israel has the primary responsibility to investigate, we urge Israel to also invite relevant UN experts to actively participate in and contribute to the investigation. | | Although the U.S. administration has asked for an impartial and credible investigation by Israel, they've been reluctant to commit to an international inquiry. But the quicker the Obama administration pushes for deeper international inquiry, the better chance there is that those responsible for the deaths are held accountable and that these same tragic events won't occur again. Tensions remain particularly high as another ship heads toward Gaza this weekend1. Urge President Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and U.S. Representative to the UN Susan Rice to demand an international inquiry into the Gaza flotilla incident and to take immediate steps to end the blockade of Gaza. In our report, "Suffocating: The Gaza Strip under Israeli Blockade2", released earlier this year, we charted how Gaza has grown increasingly isolated over the years; becoming completely cut off from the rest of the world. The blockade is a form of collective punishment in flagrant opposition to international law. It does not target armed groups but rather punishes Gaza's entire population by restricting the entry of food, medical supplies, educational equipment and building materials. Unsurprisingly, its impact falls most heavily on those most vulnerable among Gaza's people: children, the elderly and the sick. Since more than half of Gaza's population is made up of children, it becomes brutally apparent that immediate steps must be taken to lift the blockade and end the misdirected punishment. Call for international inquiry into Gaza Flotilla incident and lift the blockade of Gaza! It's now or never for Gaza. "There is no question that we need a new approach to Gaza", a US official said yesterday 3. Let President Obama hear that now is indeed the time to end the blockade of Gaza. Christoph Koettl Crisis Campaigner Amnesty International USA |
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