Palestinians call on Egypt to connect Gaza to power grid in line with 2-year-old Arab League policy

GAZA, (PIC)-- Acting speaker of the Palestinian legislative council Dr. Ahmed Bahar has appealed to the Egyptian leadership to help in ending the power crisis in Gaza Strip.

Bahar urged Cairo in a press release on Wednesday to expedite linking Gaza to the regional grid endorsed by the Arab League more than two years ago.

He said that urgent assistance should be extended to the coastal enclave to deal with the stoppage of the sole electricity generation station in Gaza such as fuel and maintenance.

Bahar held the Israeli occupation authority (IOA) fully responsible for the power crisis in Gaza due to its five-year long siege. more

Thirsting for Justice calls for flash mobs for Palestinian water rights on World Water Day 22 March

Take action

The Thirsting for Justice campaign calls on you to take part in a Global Flash Mob in city squares around the world on the occasion of World Water Day (22 March, 2012). This is an opportunity to educate the public about the daily violations of Palestinian rights to water and sanitation and to call on your government to push for accountability for these violations until Israel complies with its legal obligations as an Occupying Power.

An example of a recent flash mob can be found here.

Participants can develop their own concept with support from the Thirsting for Justice Team or choose one of the following scenarios:
Palestinians carrying empty jerry cans standing in line on a Israeli checkpoint to symbolize Israeli restrictions on Palestinian access to water; words like "hope" or "justice" can be written on each jerry can, to express the aspirations of the Palestinian people.

A crowd, representing Palestinians from Gaza, carrying bottles filled with dirty water, acting as if drinking it and falling sick. The crowd should be confined to a limited space to symbolize the Israeli blockade on Gaza.

A water cistern (represented by a box) about to be smashed to pieces by army officers, while people, representing Palestinian villagers, watch helplessly. This is to symbolize the ongoing destruction of water and sanitation infrastructure by the Israeli military in the West Bank. Villagers use cisterns to store water used for domestic consumption and livelihoods.

For each of these suggestions, participants are encouraged to carry banners that will explain the context of the scene. Register and send us your flash mob videos by writing an e-mail to info@thirstingforjustice.org. Let´s make the flash mob videos go viral!


Extract from Emergency Water, Sanitation and Hygiene group (EWASH) Factsheet 11: Demolition & destruction of water, sanitation & hygiene (WASH) infrastructure in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)

The demolition of WASH infrastructure in the OPT has placed Palestinians at increased risk of disease and illness, preventing herding and agricultural communities from practising their livelihoods and leading to significant levels of displacement. International humanitarian law and international human rights law explicitly forbid the destruction of infrastructure vital to public health and water supply.

Destruction of WASH infrastructure by the Israeli authorities in the West Bank has increased since the beginning of 2010, affecting 14,971 Palestinians—over half of whom are children—and displacing 305 individuals between 2009 and 2011. For example, three cistern demolitions occurred in 2009, 21 in 2010, and 32 in 2011.

In addition, Israeli settlements, illegal under international humanitarian law, also confiscate, destroy and hinder access to WASH infrastructure in their vicinity.

The Gaza Strip experienced widespread damage to water and sanitation facilities during the government of Israel’s military ‘Operation Cast Lead’ and continues to experience destruction of water and sanitation facilities as a result of air strikes by the Israeli military. Download the PDF

www.ewash.org

Dozens of Palestinians declare hunger strike as fasting prisoner Khader Adnan is on day 60

Dozens of Palestinians declared hunger strike in support of the Palestinian prisoner Khader Adnan who ended his 60 day of fasting. Palestinian medical sources said Adnan is facing death if not treated properly as many of his main organs including his heart and stomach are in a very bad shape.


A report by Physicians for Human Rights stated that Adnan's health is seriously deteriorating and that he might die at any moment as his immunity system is not functional any more.

Hundreds of Palestinians took to the streets in a number of West Bank towns and cities in support of Adnan, while a number of Palestinians protested at Ofer Military jail near Ramallah. more