Failing Gaza: No rebuilding, no recovery, no more excuses
Nearly a year since the start of Israel’s military offensive in Gaza and the blockade continues to prevent reconstruction and recovery. Sick, traumatised and impoverished people are being collectively punished by a cruel, illegal policy imposed by the Israeli authorities. In a new report Failing Gaza: No rebuilding, no recovery, no more excuses: A report one year after Operation Cast lead Amnesty joins 15 other leading humanitarian and human rights groups in calling on the international community to stop failing the people of Gaza, and instead back their words with effective action to end the Israeli blockade.
Send an email to the Foreign Secretary, David Miliband
Sponsoring organisations
Amnesty International UK
Broederlijk Delen (Belgium)
CAFOD (UK)
CCFD Terre Solidaire (France)
Christian Aid (UK and Ireland)
Church of Sweden
Diakonia (Sweden)
Finn Church Aid (Finland)
Medical Aid for Palestinians
medico international (Germany)
medico international schweiz (Switzerland)
Mercy Corps
MS ActionAid Denmark
Oxfam International
Trocaire (Ireland)
United Civilians for Peace (a coalition of Dutch organisations – Oxfam Novib, Cordaid, ICCO,
and IKV Pax Christi)
Recommendations to the international community
The European Union
* The EU must commit itself to the explicit aim of ending the blockade of Gaza by taking a strong and unified stance and a renewed international lead on the issue.
* The EU and its Member States should use every opportunity with Israel to issue clear, strong and public calls to demand the full and unconditional end of the blockade on Gaza.
* EU heads of states, foreign and development ministers and the EU’s new High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy should visit Gaza for themselves to better understand the impact of the blockade on the people of Gaza. A visit to Gaza should be part of every European high-level visit to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory.
* The EU should confirm publicly that the upgrading of relations with Israel is put on hold, pending tangible progress in Israel’s respect for human rights and international humanitarian law, which should include its actions with regard to the blockade of Gaza.
The Middle East Quartet (EU, Russia, UN and US)
Quartet members should:
* Channel greater efforts into bringing a swift end to the blockade of Gaza, including by establishing a clear timeline and associated benchmarks to achieve this.
* Abandon the failed policy of non-engagement and begin political dialogue with all Palestinian parties.
Encourage intra-Palestinian reconciliation and recognise any representative national authority resulting from the process.
* Make urgent, high-level representations to support the rapid agreement and implementation of the plan presented by UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Robert Serry, to deliver a package of high priority reconstruction projects, as a part of a full lifting of the blockade.
The international community
* The United Nations Security Council should convene a meeting to review the implementation of Resolution 1860 and consider action necessary to ensure the full and sustained opening of the crossings.
* The international community should press Israel to provide compensation for damage caused during Operation Cast Lead and other Israeli military actions and donors should seek compensation for damage to their aid-funded projects in Gaza.
* The international community should support genuine investigations into, and accountability for, violations of international human rights and international humanitarian law by both Israel and the Palestinian armed groups as a way to prevent more violence and destruction in the future and to address the illegality of the blockade under international law.
* The international community should support convening a substantive conference of the signatories of the Fourth Geneva Convention to help ensure respect for the Convention in the occupied Palestinian territory, including in relation to the blockade.