Rice backs Israeli declaration on Gaza as a hostile entity

Thursday September 20, 2007 10:29 by John Smith - IMEMC & agencies johnsmithimemc at gmail dot com

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Wednesday expressed her support of Israel’s decision to define the Gaza Strip as a “hostile entity,” as well as the decision of the Israeli state to pursue an associated set of measures, thought to include a gradual cutting of electricity and fuel supplies, in the Gaza Strip.

Rice, who is currently visiting the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel to shore-up support for the upcoming Middle East peace conference, stated that she considered Hamas hostile to both Israel and the US, but indicated that Palestinian civilians in the region would not be “abandoned”.

“Hamas is indeed a hostile entity. It is a hostile entity to the US also. We will not abandon the innocent Palestinians in Gaza and will make every effort to deal with their humanitarian needs,” Rice stated.

Israel’s declaration of the Gaza Strip as a ‘hostile entity’ has no precedence in international or Israeli law. The term has never been used before, is not recognised by international legal bodies and, as such, has absolutely no legislative or legal basis.

While the term is currently being used to justify a possible future cut in electricity and fuel supplies, many legal experts have argued that, given the Gaza Strip’s overwhelming dependence on Israeli imports and foreign aid, such a withdrawal of these necessities would represent both a violation of international law and an act of collective punishment.

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