PHM-Exch> People’s Health Movement statement on Israel’s attack on the civilian ships carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza

[Claudio Schuftan]

3rd June 2010

The People’s Health Movement (PHM)1, strongly condemns the Israeli
government’s violent and
premeditated attack on the civilian flotilla’s carrying peaceful activists
and humanitarian aid to Gaza on
31st May 2010.
The Israeli army’s attack using live ammunition, which resulted in death of
civilians and took place in
international waters, was a direct violation of international maritime law.
The activists were protesting
the Israeli blockade on Gaza. It appears that at least 9 civilians were
killed (according to the Israeli
sources), with dozens of others injured.
We note that the flotilla, among other forms of humanitarian aid, was
carrying vital supplies required to
address the rapidly deteriorating situation in Gaza as regards health and
health care. It included
essential medicines, wheelchairs and building materials – vital supplies
needed to rebuild health
facilities, address the acute shortage of medicines and help in the
rehabilitation of people maimed as a
result of military action by Israel.
The United States backed Israeli government has for many years violated the
human rights of
Palestinian people, through the occupation of Palestinian territories; the
economic blockade against
Gaza; and ongoing military action against civilian population under
occupation. The impact on the
physical and mental wellbeing of people, especially women and children is
severe (please see
People’s Charter for Health).
In their recent Human Rights Report, Amnesty International highlights the
impact of the collective
punishment of people living in Gaza as having “deepened the ongoing
humanitarian crisis. Mass
unemployment, extreme poverty, food insecurity and food price rises caused
by shortages”. Clearly,
the people in Gaza face a health emergency, contributed to by the decimation
of health care facilities,
as well as by the impact of the blockade and military actions on social
determinants of health.
1
  PHM is a global network bringing together grassroots activists, civil
society organizations and
academics from around the world, particularly from low income countries. PHM
works towards the
revitalisation of primary health care and works to address the social
determinants of health, including
in particular, the growing inequity within and between nations, mostly due
to unfair economic
structures which lock so many people into poverty and poor health. We have a
presence in more than
70 countries around the globe.
    Mailing Address: P.O.Box 13698 St. Peter's Square, Mowbray 7705, Cape
Town, South Africa. Tel: 027 21 4473037
                 Fax: 027 866 707216 E-mail: secretariat at phmovement.org Web:
www.phmovement.org
The People’s Health Movement demands:
        A credible and independent investigation into this barbaric attack
on peaceful civilians;
        Israel to allow for the free flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
According to the UN, only a
         fraction of aid required is entering Gaza.
        That Israel immediately suspends the economic blockade on Gaza and
ends the occupation of
         Palestinian territories;
        That governments around the world sever diplomatic, trade and
military ties with Israel and
         support the international campaign of Boycotts, Divestment and
Sanctions (BDS) against the
         Apartheid Israeli state.
We call on civil organizations and citizens around the world to pressurize
their governments to take
action against Israel, to put pressure on Israel to allow humanitarian aid
and food into Gaza; and to
end the blockade on Gaza which is negatively impacting on large numbers of
innocent women and
children, elderly and the sick. We appeal to ordinary citizens in Israel to
condemn this dastardly act of
their Government and to articulate a reversal of the Israeli Government’s
policy towards Palestine.
Bridget Lloyd (Global Co-ordinator on behalf of the secretariat)
Prem John (Co-chairperson, India), Fran Baum (Co-Chairperson, Australia)
Hani Serag (Associate
coordinator, Egypt), Amit Sengupta (Associate Coordinator, India), Alexis
Benos (Greece), Arturo
Quizhpe (Ecuador), Bala (Sri Lanka), Claudio Schuftan (Vietnam), David Legge
(Australia), David
McCoy (United Kingdom), David Sanders (South Africa), Delen de la Paz
(Philippines), Ekbal (India),
Jihad Mashal (Palestine), Lanny Smith (USA), Maija Kagis (Canada), Margarita
Posada (El Salvador),
Maria Hamlin Zuniga (Nicaragua), Martin Khor, (Malaysia), Mira Shiva
(India), Qasem Chowdury
(Bangladesh), Ravi Narayan (India), Sarah Shannon (USA), Zafrullah Chowdhury
(Bangladesh)
On behalf of the People’s Health Movement
    Mailing Address: P.O.Box 13698 St. Peter's Square, Mowbray 7705, Cape
Town, South Africa. Tel: 027 21 4473037
                  Fax: 027 866 707216 E-mail: secretariat at phmovement.orgWeb:
www.phmovement.org
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