Activists Around the World Demand: An Israeli Cease Fire NOW! U.S. Hands-Off Gaza! Egypt Open the Rafah Crossing NOW!

Palestinian-American, Chinese-American and Egyptian activists are together in Cairo for an international humanitarian mission and to fight against the Zionist war machine paid for by the U$A

Report from Gaza-Part One

Lee Siu Hin
National Coordinator
China-US Solidarity Network
National Immigrant Solidarity Network

March 26, 2024

English
https://www.immigrantsolidarity.org/Gaza/GazaReport/PartOne.html

中文Chinese
https://www.immigrantsolidarity.org/Gaza/GazaReport/PartOne-CHN.html

As of March 25th over 32,000 Gazans have been killed, at least 74,000 injured; and at least another 8,000 are still missing, believed to be buried under the destroyed buildings. At least 360,000 houses have been destroyed by the Israeli Defense Forces IDF, or we peace activists call them IOF–The Israeli Occupation Forces, in the brutal Gaza invasion since Hamas began “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood” on the October 7, 2023.

Israel’s ultimate goal is the total blockade, destruction, genocide and ethnic cleansing of every Palestinian in Gaza. To do this, the IOF are also systematically and deliberately targeting humanitarian convoys that are carrying desperately needed food and medicine. At least a dozen trucks carrying food have been attacked and destroyed and nearly 200 humanitarian workers have been killed as of early March. Several hundred Gazans have also been killed by the IOF while waiting for food, including in the notorious Flour Massacre on February 29th in northern Gaza when over a hundred people were killed by the IOF.

That is, without a doubt, a crime against humanity! Yet the United States, Israel’s most important ally and military backer, has intentionally vetoed the past three United Nations (UN) draft resolutions (October 8 and December 8, 2023, and February 20, 2024) calling for a ceasefire and full access to humanitarian aid.

Instead, the U.S. insists that Israel has the “right to defend itself” and has continued to send multi-billion dollars worth of military aid to Israel, including an additional $14 billion requested by the Biden administration, and quietly approved more than 100 arms sales since October 7th.

By contrast during the same period the U.S. has sent $180 million, a relatively small token, for the people of Gaza; that’s approximately $1460 for each Israeli just for weapons vs. $85 in “aid” for each Gazan.

While helping Israel block aid convoys by road, the U.S. responded by launching ineffective and expensive air-drops parachuting 38,000 pallets of Meals Ready-to-Eat (MREs) five months after the assault on Gaza began; tasteless, totally useless military rations sent to Gazans who desperately need real food, water and medicine. The airdrop operation also caused chaos and accidents on the ground, killing at least five people and injuring ten others by these U.S. aid packages dropped from the air, according to the media.

Egypt, bordering with Gaza, is the most important host country to receive the international aid, shipping it by truck into Gaza via the famous Rafah crossing. Because the Egyptian government historically has very close relationships with the U.S. and Israel, they don’t want to upset either of them by completely opening the border for international humanitarian operations. Instead, Egypt blocks and even detains international activists who want to challenge the Israeli blockade at the Rafah crossing.

A Call from International Communities
Facing this critical situation the international community drafted a letter to the Egyptian government supporting the international grassroots initiative to send an aid convoy to Gaza through Rafah.

Video: Lee Siu Hin Cairo, Egypt - A trip to support the struggle of the Palestinian people and break through the Israeli blockade to deliver relief supplies to Gaza
https://youtu.be/GF_S4Q7-O3w

The letter was initiated by the Arab International Centre for Communications and Solidarity (AICCS) and signed by more than 12,500 people from Egypt, other Arab countries and international supporters (including me). It petitioned the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Egypt to issue “a permit to send an aid convoy to Gaza through Rafah, whereby petitioners and other volunteers will steer and accompany the convoy at their own risk.”

AICCS called upon all free people and all Arab and international entities and individuals “to support this initiative by either volunteering to partake in the convoy and/or to express support for this initiative through statements and letters.”

A meeting was supposed to be held on March 12th to discuss this with the Ministry but the Ministry canceled the meeting at the last moment without rescheduling.

Obviously, the big imperialist power doesn’t want to allow international efforts to break the U.S.-backed Israeli blockade that prevents humanitarian assistance from reaching the people of Gaza fighting for justice. Also, those in Egypt who profit from continuing the blockade, including some international NGOs, would lose out.

However, international activists aren’t giving up; there have been many international medical activists from different grassroots Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and humanitarian organizations who have entered Gaza to help people and who have filed factual reports to the world.

One of them is Susan Abulhawa.

(Continue Part Two...)