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The Human Calamity caused by the Israeli Occupation of Gaza Strip &the Alleviation Role of the Palestine Red Crescent Society

By: Mutasem Awad

 The Israeli military operation in Gaza Strip continued for 22 days, at the end of which the extent of suffering among Palestinian civilians, and the destruction inflicted on the infrastructure of Gaza became apparent. The Israeli war machine showed no mercy and targeted even those who are supposed to be protected in time of war.

 Indiscriminate attacks, excessive use of force and the use of prohibited weapons led to the deaths of 1325 people, among them 446 children, 110 women, 108 elderly people, 14 members of medical teams, 3 journalists  and 230 policemen. A total of 5450 people were injured, including 1855 children, 795 women and 24 members of medical teams.

Even medical facilities and UN buildings were not spared in the attacks. The Israeli war machine destroyed more than 20,000 homes with 4000 homes completely destroyed and 16,000 partially destroyed. Also destroyed were 1500 commercial shops and industrial workshops, 30 mosques, 120 charitable societies, 60 police headquarters and 29 educational institutions. Four UNRWA schools were shelled in which hundreds of civilians had taken refuge, having fled their homes attacked by Israeli warplanes and tanks which killed and injured hundreds.

 Investigations carried out by the Israeli occupying forces, after the Israeli military operations in Gaza Strip had ended, showed that many houses had been destroyed without any real justification.  Tenuous reasons such as a suspicion of arms smuggling or because the army’s field of vision was blocked by the homes were all that were given.

On February 15, 2009, Haaretz daily newspaper reported that an officer of the investigation committee had said that the investigation faced a serious problem of large numbers of homes destroyed without legal justification. The officer said; "it was clear to us that in several locations houses were attacked unjustifiably. It is difficult to justify these attacks, especially if we have to stand and do so before international organizations".

A flagrant violation of International Humanitarian LawInternational Humanitarian Law categorically prohibits attacks on medical teams who are carrying out essential humanitarian tasks. However, Palestinian medical teams were subjected to scores of attacks in which 14 of their affiliates were killed and more than 24 injured. Occupation forces also shelled 21medical institutions including 4 hospitals and 17 primary health care and medical aid centers, destroyed scores of medical vehicles and 16 ambulances belonging to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS).

International Humanitarian Law provides protection to and respect for the injured and sick, whether military or civilians. It also obligates parties to the conflict to facilitate their movement and provide them with the necessary medical care, as well as to facilitate the work of national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies and other humanitarian relief societies.  However, Israeli occupation forces refused to abide by these legal rules, and prevented medical teams from accessing the injured and the sick, particularly in the Al-Zeitun, al-Atatrah, Beit Lahia, Izbat Abed Rabbo and Al-Samoni neighborhoods. In other places, houses were demolished on top of their inhabitants without mercy or humanity. Decomposing corpses threatened a health and environmental catastrophe in the Strip, while many of the injured remained for several days without medical aid and food resulting in more deaths.

International Humanitarian Law prohibits the starvation of civilians as a weapon of war and also prohibits the undermining of vital underpinnings to survival for civilians. Nevertheless, Israeli shelling caused extensive damage to essentials like water wells, food warehouses and fuel supplies as well the destruction of crops and the bulldozing of cultivated land.  Throughout the period of the attacks, civilians in the Gaza Strip suffered from severe water shortages.

These Israeli actions can only be regarded as war crimes. Some of them are grave breaches of Article 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention which is applicable to the occupied Palestinian territories including Gaza Strip. They are punishable under International Criminal Law and under the national criminal laws of some countries including Britain, Spain, Belgium and others where judicial jurisdictions have been expanded to cover cases of international war crimes.

PRCS and the impact on health caused by the Israeli attacks

 PRCS employees and volunteers at the Emergency Medical Services remained on alert in the Gaza Strip for the duration of Israel’s 22 day military operation. PRCS called up 200 volunteers to assist the Emergency Medical Services and the Disaster prepareness and response Unit. Fifty volunteers were allocated to support Emergency Medical Centers, while the rest were allocated to the operation room established by PRCS to provide logistical support for humanitarian services.

 The total number of martyrs and injured people transferred and treated by PRCS medical teams and ambulances in the period between December 27, 2008 and January 18, 2009 was 520 dead and 2202 injured persons. In addition, PRCS teams extracted about 50 corpses from the rubble of demolished houses. PRCS' Al-Quds and Amal hospitals received scores of dead in addition to 715 injured people. The PRCS Blood Transfusion Services collected 800 units from various West Bank cities and villages, and succeeded in sending 560 units to Gaza Strip, in cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Crescent.

All hospitals in the Strip, as well as PRCS' medical facilities suffered from an acute shortage of basic medical supplies and equipment with which to treat the huge numbers of victims. Medical operating rooms were overcrowded with the injured and basic medicines depleted. Hospitals and other medical facilities suffered staff shortages and were unable to cope with the waves of incoming casualties.

 PRCS' Societal Mental Health Department established a plan to provide support to PRCS employees and set up teams to minister to those in need,  especially the children. In Gaza City and Khan Yunis, teams started working with citizens, organizing sessions aimed at psychological abreaction through drawing and free expression of feelings and emotions. These teams also provided employees at the Emergency Medical Services, with vital psychological and social support, in what is known as abreaction of fatigue cases resulting from serious incidents, following Israeli attacks on the Strip which impacted enormously on individuals.

The rehabilitation role of PRCS is to provide support to those who suffer from disability, to help them adapt to their new status, as well as to provide for urgent basic needs. Future PRCS plans involve the provision of rehabilitation programs to around 800 injured (disabled) and to provide   them with the appropriate aids to facilitate their re- integration into society.

At the end of Israeli military operations against the Strip, PRCS volunteers took part in alleviating the damage. They quickly distributed blankets and plastic sheets to about 4800 partially demolished homes. The organization is currently planning to establish a camp in Jabaliya to accommodate 500 families who lost their homes in the Israeli attacks.

PRCS has launched an Urgent Appeal to address the crisis in the Strip, and to gather $ 45 million or in kind services to support their activities. This is the amount needed to implement PRCS’ 2009-2010 plan for the alleviation of suffering of Palestinian citizens caused by the practices and policies of the Israeli occupation authorities.

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