European campaign appeals to Mubarak to open Rafah crossing

[ 14/04/2008 - 09:00 AM ]

BRUSSELS, (PIC)--

The European campaign to lift the siege issued Sunday an urgent appeal to Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and his government to take an instant decision befitting Egypt's ethical and humanitarian responsibilities and obligations towards their neighbors in the Gaza Strip and open the Rafah border crossing.

The campaign pointed out that the Israeli occupation government, of course, is not exempted from its obligations under the provisions of international humanitarian law.

The campaign said that the tragedy of the suffocating siege on one and a half million people in Gaza entails direct intervention by Egypt which could practically end this suffering just when it opens the Rafah border crossing and allows in humanitarian needs and fuel to the Strip.

The campaign added that the intransigence of the IOA and its persistence in ignoring ongoing calls for lifting the siege and ending the severe restrictions imposed on the living needs of the Gaza citizens require strong condemnation of this Israeli behavior which is deemed as a very serious violation of human being's right to life and access to its basic needs.

The campaign warned that the continuing refusal to open the Rafah crossing results in disastrous consequences because it blocks the only windpipe for the Gaza people.

In the same context of the Israeli siege, Amin Abu Rashid, the head of the European campaign, also warned of the danger of stopping to supply Gaza with Fuel, highlighting that the whole international community has to pay attention to the seriousness of the humanitarian situation in Gaza

The fuel crisis if escalated more would lead to a complete power outage in the entire Gaza Strip and lead all critical equipment in hospitals to stop operating which would result in turn in mass death of patients in intensive care unit and those who depend on respirators and dialysis machines as well as children in incubators.

Bahr invites Europeans to visit Gaza to see Palestinians dying slowly

[ 14/04/2008 - 01:57 PM ]

DAMASCUS, (PIC)--

Dr. Ahmed Bahr, the acting speaker of the PLC, invited Monday in a press conference held outside the UN headquarters in Gaza the European officials to visit Gaza to see the slow death being experienced by one and a half million Palestinian citizens there, as a result of the Israeli siege, adding that what is happening against Gaza is contrary to all international conventions and laws.

Dr. Bahr added that the Europeans, who talks about human rights, are invited to Gaza to take a firm stand against the suffocating Israeli siege which have claimed the lives of 133 Palestinian patients.

In another context, Izzat Al-Rashiq, a member of the Hamas political bureau, called on the Egyptian leadership to activate what had been said by its president Hosni Mubarak that "he would not allow the Palestinian people in Gaza to starve" because the life in Gaza is getting worse and returned to its primitive form after everything almost ran out.

In a press statement, Rashiq underlined that a state of slow death prevails in Gaza before the eyes and ears of the whole world, urging the world to hasten to take practical steps to address this humanitarian catastrophe.

The Hamas leader revealed that kind of fraternal and balanced dialog is taking place between the Movement and Egypt, adding that the Movement is expecting from the Egyptian leadership to play active role in breaking the siege and to open the Rafah crossing.

The Hamas leader also expressed hope that former American president Jimmy Carter would stand on his position regarding his intention to visit Syria to meet with Khaled Mesha'al, the head of the Hamas political bureau.

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