Middle East Monitor and Friends of Al-Aqsa Parliamentary delegation to the West Bank and Israel

Monday, 29 November 2010 16:15 Dr. Hanan Chehata

The Delegation
In an attempt to explore the current situation of Palestinians living inside Israel and the occupied West Bank, the Middle East Monitor (MEMO) and Friends of Al-Aqsa organised a small parliamentary delegation to the region. The delegation toured some of the most troubled hotspots in the area, including Silwan where at least 88 Palestinian houses are currently subject to Israeli demolition orders; Hebron where Israeli militarisation and settler violence has devastated the neighbourhood; and the Negev Desert in Israel where the Palestinian Bedouin are subjected to consistent efforts to wipe them and their villages off the map.

The programme was intense and fast-paced and highlighted the many and varied ways by which Palestinians face intimidation by the Israeli regime on a daily basis. Every aspect of Palestinians’ lives is affected by Israel’s occupation, through arbitrary arrests (followed frequently by allegations of torture); the demolition of Palestinian homes; the arrest and interrogation of children; the racist apartheid-style checkpoints; the illegal apartheid wall; and many other oppressive measures used by Israel to subjugate a people under occupation. This journey brought home to the delegation just how urgent it is for the international community to mobilise itself and bring the occupation to an end.
In addition to meeting with local Palestinians and hearing about their daily struggles under the occupation the delegation also met with both sides of the Palestinian political spectrum, including members and representatives of Fatah and Hamas.
The delegation consisted of British members of parliament Mr Jeremy Corbyn (Labour party) and Mr Andrew Slaughter (Labour Party), accompanied by Seumas Milne (columnist and Associate Editor of the Guardian), Jenny Ousbey (journalist) and Dr Hanan Chehata (Press Officer for the Middle East Monitor). It took place between 5th – 9th November and was coordinated by Lubna Masarwa.

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Israel to loosen Gaza blockade

Israel has announced new steps to loosen a land blockade of the Gaza Strip amid mounting international pressure to end the crippling three-year siege.

The administration of Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, said on Sunday that it would begin allowing all goods into the Palestinian territory other than "weapons and materials that Hamas uses".

It did not specify what it constitutes as "materials Hamas uses", but Netanyahu's office said in a statement that it would publish a list of goods not allowed into the territory "as quickly as possible".

The announcement marks a change in policy from currently providing a list of goods permitted to enter the territory.

"Israel seeks to keep out of Gaza weapons and material that Hamas uses to prepare and carry out terror and rocket attacks towards Israel and its civilians," the statement said.

"All other goods will be allowed into Gaza."
'Violating international law'

Israel also said that it will consider additional ways of allowing more Palestinians to leave the Gaza Strip for medical and humanitarian reasons.

But Christopher Gunness, spokesman for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), said the Israeli decision will need to be assessed by deeds and not words.

"We have to look at steps on the ground. On the ground the situation is grim - a humanitarian catastrophe in every sphere of life. So we need to get this illegal blockade lifted," he told Al Jazeera from Cairo.

"With international law, you're either violating or you're not. And this blockade is a violation.

"So if Israel wants to stop being in violation of international law it has to end the blockade, not ease it."


Israel telah mengumumkan langkah-langkah baru untuk melonggarkan blokade tanah di Jalur Gaza tengah tekanan internasional untuk mengakhiri pengepungan yang melumpuhkan Gaza selama tiga tahun.

Administrasi Binyamin Netanyahu, perdana menteri Israel, mengatakan pada hari Minggu bahwa mereka akan mulai memungkinkan semua barang ke dalam wilayah Palestina selain "senjata dan bahan bahwa Hamas menggunakan".

Itu tidak menentukan apa yang merupakan sebagai "bahan Hamas menggunakan", tetapi kantor Netanyahu mengatakan dalam sebuah pernyataan bahwa mereka akan menerbitkan daftar barang-barang tidak diizinkan masuk ke wilayah "secepat mungkin".

Pengumuman ini menandai perubahan kebijakan dari saat ini memberikan daftar barang diizinkan untuk memasuki wilayah itu.

"Israel berusaha untuk mencegah senjata Gaza Hamas dan materi yang digunakan untuk mempersiapkan dan melakukan teror dan serangan roket terhadap Israel dan warga sipil tersebut," kata pernyataan itu.

"Semua barang-barang lain akan diizinkan masuk ke Gaza."

"Melanggar hukum internasional '

Israel juga mengatakan bahwa ia akan mempertimbangkan cara-cara tambahan yang memungkinkan lebih banyak orang Palestina meninggalkan Jalur Gaza untuk alasan medis dan kemanusiaan.

Tapi Christopher Gunness, juru bicara PBB Relief dan Pekerjaan Badan pengungsi Palestina (UNRWA), mengatakan keputusan Israel perlu dinilai oleh perbuatan dan bukan kata-kata.

"Kita harus melihat langkah-langkah di atas tanah Pada situasi tanah adalah suram - sebuah bencana kemanusiaan dalam setiap bidang kehidupan. Jadi. Kita perlu mendapatkan ini mengangkat blokade ilegal," katanya kepada Al Jazeera dari Kairo.

"Dengan hukum internasional, baik Anda melanggar atau Anda tidak Dan blokade ini adalah pelanggaran..

"Jadi, jika Israel ingin berhenti menjadi yang melanggar hukum internasional itu untuk mengakhiri blokade, tidak mudah itu."