IDF order likely to target first Palestinians with Gaza addresses

A new military order aimed at preventing "infiltration" will come into force this week, Amira Haas warns in an article published in the Haaretz on April 11th 2010. According to the provisions, "a person is presumed to be an infiltrator if he is present in the area (the West Bank) without a document or permit which attest to his lawful presence in the area without reasonable justification." The first Palestinians likely to be targeted under the new rules will be those whose ID cards bear home addresses in the Gaza Strip - people born in Gaza and their West Bank-born children.

Gaza's fishermen look to farms, not the sea

Fish farming is being explored as a partial solution to restrictions on capture fisheries. Gaza's fishermen look to farms, not the sea, an article by Jon Donnison, was published on the BBC website on february 2nd 2010. Although a solution, fish farming also depends on the reopening of borders by Israel:
"We need to support and invest in the fish farming sector but if the Israeli blockade continues it will be difficult because fish farming relies on lots of technology in order to succeed and it is hard for the farmers to get the equipment they need because of that blockade."

Security Council report : February 2010 forecast

From the Security Council Report (February 2010 forecast):

Israel/Palestine: A briefing on the Middle East is expected. No outcome is expected. However, members will be mindful that the Secretary-General is due to submit a report to the General Assembly on Israeli and Palestinian investigations into violations of international humanitarian and human rights law in Gaza, following the Goldstone Report.

One and a Half Million People Trapped between Land, Sea and Air

an article by Nina Fleury dated January 9th 2010 on closures and restrictions imposed onto the Gaza Strip. The lack of essential imports, coupled with the ban on exports, has brought 95% of Palestinian businesses to close. Poverty levels have reached an estimated 80%, while unemployment stands at over 42%. 75% of the Gazan population, representing more than 1.1 million persons, now lack food security, compared with 56 percent in 2008. Some 1 million Gazans depend on food provided by aid agencies

The Goldstone Report

Much controversy around a report which in the end says what everybody knows.

The Goldstone report is the report of the fact finding mission on Gaza conflict. The mission was mandated by the UN Human Rights Council to investigate all violations which occurred during the 27 december 2008 - 18 January 2009 conflict.

It is worth a read and it is worth reading what was said about it to understand the politics behind the conflict.

Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR)

27 December 2008 – 18 January 2009

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) has released this report in order to highlight the reality of life in the occupied Gaza Strip, and to illustrate the dramatic deterioration in the human rights situation brought about by 928 days of continuous illegal closure, as well as numerous offensives, incursions and attacks.

War, Natural Gas and Gaza's Marine Zone

an interesting article dated April 22 2009. David K. Schermerhorn demonstrates the link between closure on fishing by the Israeli navy and the presence of natural gas off the coast of Gaza.

" BACKGROUND:

There is an historical connection between the Gazan community and the off shore fishery. In recent times some 3000 fishermen in over 700 boats made their livelihood in the waters off the shores of Gaza. Before 1978 when the fishing area included the sea off the Sinai coastline the area covered some 75,000 square kilometers.

The larger boats are about 20 meters in length and usually carry a crew of 7. They are typically trawlers using downriggers to lower their nets to the ocean bed. Currently their main catch is bream or sardines that average between 8 and 14 inches. The smallest craft are rowboats normally used to deploy nets a few hundred meters off shore. The nets are then hauled in by hand from the beach. These catches are very modest.

After the 1994 GAZA-JERICHO AGREEMENT the fishermen were free to use a corridor extending 20 nautical miles from the Gaza shore bounded by restricted zones to the north and south abutting Israeli and Egyptian waters. After the UN's 2002 Bertini proposal the approved location was reduced to an area within 12 nautical miles of the coast. More recently the area available has been reduced to 300 square kilometers.

Beginning in late 2000 the Israeli military began a campaign of intimidation and harassment against the fishing boats that ventured near or beyond a 6 nautical mile limit. No formal notice or explanation was ever given to the Palestinians. Instead the regulation was written and enforced by Israeli machine guns and water cannons. At least 14 fishermen have been killed by the Israelis, over 200 injured and numerous boats damaged or impounded.

WHY?

In the late 1990's the British Gas Group (BG Group) discovered a vast deposit of natural gas under the waters off Gaza: Over 1 trillion cubic feet equal to 150 million barrels of oil was estimated to be there. A significantly smaller deposit was also found in nearby Israeli waters.

On 11/8/99 Chairman Yasser Arafat signed an agreement giving BG Group 90 percent interest and 10 per cent to Consolidated Contractors Company, an Athens based Palestinian entity connected to the PLO. A final allocation of the rights continues to be contested between BG Group, Israel, Egypt and the Palestinians in obscured ongoing negotiations. The Israelis began their program of killing and harassing the Gazan fishermen only after the discovery of the natural gas deposits. It is a reasonable assumption that the two events are linked: That the Israelis are asserting control over this resource valued at over 4 billion dollars; And that they are intent on denying any benefit to the Palestinians regardless of who controls Gaza."

a time line supporting his argument follows the article.