By Nykoel Dinardo
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East
UNITED NATIONS – On December 3 the United Nations Security Council decided to take up a complaint by Libya, who claimed that Israel unlawfully intercepted a cargo ship carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza. An emergency session was held at Libya’s request. Libya claims that Israel’s actions constitute an affront to peace.
On December 1, Israel stopped a Libyan cargo ship that Libyan and Palestinian officials claim was carrying over 3,000 tons of food and humanitarian aid for residents in Gaza. Libya says that Israel ships confronted the cargo ship and forced it to veer towards Egypt. Unable to dock in Gaza, Tripoli officials say that the ship will have to return to Libya.
Israel claims that Libya is using its status as a member of the Security Council for public relations purposes. Israeli Ambassador Gabriella Shalev responded to Libya’s accusations that Israel’s actions are an affront to peace by saying that Libya was not acting as a peace-maker when Hamas attacked Israel earlier this year. Libya currently has no diplomatic relations with Israel and has criticized the handling of the situation in Gaza.
In response to Palestinian attacks, Israel has imposed a blockade against Gaza since November 2007. As of February, they allowed humanitarian aid to the region three times. Karen Abu Zayd, the UN official in charge of humanitarian aid to the area, accused Israel of punishing the Palestinians in the area, including aid workers. According to Zayd, Israel recently published a list of items that could not be received into Gaza; including spices, kitchenware, and paper. She also claimed that aid workers were not allowed to send or receive mail.
On December 2, groups held protests against the blockade in several Middle Eastern countries. Palestinian children held a protest where they imitated sick children who lacked medical supplies. Some children also wore loaves of bread as masks to protest hunger in Gaza. In Lebanon, nearly 2,000 students marched on the UN headquarters in Beirut, where they sang resistance songs for 30 minutes before dispersing peacefully.
For more information, please see:
AFP – UN Council to Take Up Israel Blockade of Libya Ship: Source – 3 December 2008
The Daily Star – Scores of Children Protest Against Israel’s Seige of the Gaza Strip – 3 December 2008
New Zealand Herald – Israel Punishing Aid Workers, Says UN Official – 3 December 2008
YNet News – UN to Discuss Israel’s Refusal to Allow Libyan Ship to Dock in Gaza – 3 December 2008
Radio Netherlands Worldwide – Gaza’s Hungry Children – 2 February 2008
