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Israel: The responses to unlawfulness

The world seems both blind and deaf to Israel's actions toward the Palestinians - especially those in occupied Gaza. Double standards prevail, no doubt aided and abetted by the fear of "offending" Israel by criticising its actions, or worse, being accused of being anti-Zionist or anti-semitic.

As Stephen Lendman writes on CounterPunch, "Punishing Gaza":

"On September 20, Haaretz reported: "The security cabinet voted unanimously yesterday to increase sanctions against the Hamas-run Gaza Strip (and declare) the region a 'hostile entity.' " A further statement read: "We will reduce the amount of megawattage we provide to the Strip, and Hamas will have to decide whether to provide electricity to hospitals or weapons lathes." Israeli officials also decided to punish Gazans by restricting:

-- fuel as well as electricity from Israel to Gaza;

-- the passage of goods and people through border crossings that are already severely restricted; and

-- visits to prisoners even further than how limited they are already."

Lendman then dissects how this has all played out and the "reponses" to Israel's actions - some of it muted, others not so - to all of this, including:

"UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, John Dugard, also weighed in. He called on State Members in their capacity as High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention. He asked them to ensure Israel complies with its provisions regarding the protection of civilians in times of war. One of them under article 54 states: "Starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is prohibited," as well as "attack(ing), remov(ing), or render(ing) useless objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population such as foodstuffs, agricultural areas (for their production), crops, livestock, drinking water installations and supplies and irrigation works.... " Article 55 then obligates an occupying power to ensure "the food and medical supplies of the population."

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