News from the Gaza Strip plus protest in Exeter against Middle East violence

By PRSD, on Monday, January 5, 2009

posted by Cptn

We have received this email with news from the Gaza Strip from Human Right’s Volunteer Jenny Linnell, on the day when more than “300 people from across the west country gathered in Exeter city centre for two hours of vigils in the cold. The crowd of all ages and from all backgrounds held silences, walked and chanted, and laid flowers in memory of the 400 killed and 2000 injured in the Gaza Strip in the last seven days of heavy shelling”.

The press release, from the International Solidarity Movement, says the demo is part of an international day of solidarity for the people of Gaza, and protests have taken place across the country. They come the day after the Israelis allowed foreign passport holders the opportunity to leave Gaza for safety. About 400 left on coaches, sparking fears that a land invasion is imminent. Civilians have not been allowed to leave, and 50 per cent of Gaza’s population is under 18. As a result Devon-based peace worker Jenny Linnell and eight other international humanitarian activists with the International Solidarity Movement have also determined to stay and document the atrocities.

“With the Israeli ban on international journalists, the Gazan voice has been further muted. Communicating the reality on the ground with the external world is essential to highlight the illegality of Israel’s attacks. We recently started accompanying ambulances to document the attacks on medical personnel, which is a violation of the Geneva Convention. I have seen and felt the suffering of families and cannot leave them, all the civilians are vulnerable to Israel’s attacks. We intend to stay and continue exposing the nature of Israel’s attacks on the Gazan people,” said Jenny of the International Solidarity Movement.

“Jenny spent yesterday afternoon with the mother of one of the 3 boys, aged between 7 and 12, who were killed by a missile carrying remote control spy plane (known in the region as drones) as they played. One child was entirely decapitated.

“Jenny’s colleague Sharon interviewed the daughters of the family that she has been staying with, so that their words could be read at rallies across the UK.”

The press release quotes 11-year-old Sara: “Gaza is living in a siege, like a big jail: no water, no electric power. People feel afraid, don’t sleep at night, and every day more people are killed. Until now, more than 400 are killed and more than 2000 injured. And students had their final first term exams, so Israel hit the Ministry of Education, and a lot of ministries. Every day people are asking when will it end, and they are waiting for more activist ships like the Dignity.”
(in Arabic, translated by Habeeb, 18):

Both activists emphasized the importance to the regions people of knowing that the outside world is hearing about their plight and are trying to help.

“I am so glad to be here, to be a small sign to Gaza folks that people do care about them. And my fabulous friends are sending supportive messages, not only to me but to Palestinians, who cluster round to look at them, and translate them to each other, sometimes in tones of astonishment; and to smile at the footage of demonstrations and vigils. I told a local friend today that Israelis will be demonstrating against their government’s actions on Saturday, and she could hardly comprehend it. (See a Jerusalem demo that’s happened already here.) I look forward to sharing the pictures of this and all the other rallies about to happen, with her and everyone,” said Sharon Lock if the International Solidarity Movement.

• Tune in later for images from the January 1 attack.