Sally Turner
AT LEAST 22 Palestinians, including 18 militants and at least four civilians, have been killed in recent air strikes on Gaza. The latest victims were a 65 year old man and his 35 year old daughter in the Jabaliya refugee camp.
Islamic Jihad’s military wing, the Al-Quds Brigades, demanded that Israel call a cease fire and stop targeting militants pre-emptively.
However Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said these attacks would continue as long as necessary though on 13 March a ceasefire was finally brokered
Israel claims as its excuse that more than 240 rockets had been fired from Gaza injuring over 30 people but failed to mention the cross-boarder exchanges were triggered by an air strike on a senior leader of the Popular Resistance Committee (PRC) who Israel claimed had been planning an attack.
This outburst fighting has once again drawn attention to to the stalled Palestinian-Israeli peace talks. Although there might be a temporary ceasefire, it solves none of the fundamental issues. Gaza is still largely under siege, it has barely enough electricity to keep water pumping stations going. The terrible conditions there have been the cause of tremendous concern by foreign aid agencies, so far with no real moves to alleviate the terrible suffering of the people.
Also stalled are the negotiations between Hamas and Fatah on national unification. Mahmoud Abbas still rules from Ramallah, outstaying his term as President by several years and with no elections in sight.
Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, as well as it’s repeated threats against Iran, are further reminders of its colonial, expansionist role in the region. It is constantly at war to defend the Zionist settler state.
