United international efforts, comprising of Israel, the U.S., and
European states sought to isolate Palestine from the world, further
destabilize Palestine's already weak government, and to remove it from
the international network on which it depends.
Last year, the United Nations issued a report painting a bleak image of
the situation in Gaza and the entire occupied Palestinian territories,
warning that the Palestinian population is facing a humanitarian
catastrophe, due to lack of food and the inability of the UN to deliver
food to families.
It also said that about 9% of Palestinian children under age five suffer
from malnutrition-induced brain trauma.
It painted a sad picture of the impact of the economic sanctions imposed
against the Hamas government of the Palestinian Authority (PA) by the
United States and the others, including Britain.
Unemployment
The report also said that at least 70 percent of the Gazan workforce
is unemployed or doesn’t get paid, and 51 percent of the Palestinians
have become dependants on food assistance (a 14 percent increase on last
year)
According to the report, infant mortality in Palestinian has risen to
25.2 per 1,000 live births, and under-five mortality has reached 29.1
per 1,000 live births. It also warned that Palestinians have become
unable to pay hospital fees, and, as a result of closures imposed by
Israel, non-payment of salaries which led to repetitive strikes by
staff, the supply of medication and equipment couldn’t be delivered to
assist Palestinians.
No Water
The report also said that 25 percent of Gaza’s residents do not have
sufficient access to water. As a result of the destruction of Gaza’s
power plant by Israeli bombardment in the offensive the Israeli
occupation forces (IOF) launched last June, access to water has been
further reduced, badly affecting hospitals and resulting in noticeable
increase in diarrhoea, particularly among children under three.
New Fatah-Hamas alliance
Arabs thought that would ease pain, but Israel told Washington and EU
states to cut off aid. The U.S. announced yesterday cutting funds
it used to send to the security forces of the Palestinian President
Mahmoud Abbas, arguing it fears the money might reach the hands of Hamas.