UNRWA: Measure Israeli decision (to open Gaza crossings) in deeds
Reageer (0)18-6-2010
Bethlehem - Spokesman for the UN Relief and Works Agency Chris Gunness warned BBC TV audiences on Thursday, that Israel's decision to ease the siege on Gaza should be measured in deeds, not in words.
"There have been many many false dawns," Gunnesss said about Israeli promises to improve on violations of international law, emphasizing that the "collective punishment of 1.5 million" people in Gaza was illegal.
"There is no such thing as a partial violation of international law," Gunness added, questioning the announced plan to ease the blockade, and calling for a total end to the siege.
Gunness' UN Chief Ban Ki-moon, who expressed a more positive "hope" that the Israeli announcement would see and end to Gaza suffering, nonetheless mandated UN officials to continue to seek “a fundamental change in policy” so that humanitarian assistance, commercial goods and people are able to flow through functioning open crossings, and reconstruction can take place, a statement from the official's office read.
The UNRWA spokesman was less hopeful, however, saying Israel's move must not be hailed until it proves to ameliorate the conditions in Gaza. The announced 'liberalization' - as Quartet envoy Tony Blair described it - must be assessed by “deed and not by words because there have been many words indeed," Gunness said.
Making an appeal to the international community on the BBC, Gunness explained that Israel's blockade was essentially "against its own attempts to reconstruct Gaza," citing the millions pledged by world donors at the Sharam Ash-Sheikh conference in 2009, and recalling that the blockade on reconstruction materials only prevented international action, adding that "other people have been doing it [reconstruction]," for example the Hamas government, and its backers.
The Israeli siege on Gaza, Gunness concluded, "was a clear case of where Israeli strategy directly countered to the strategy of the international community which wanted to rebuild Gaza."
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