JINSA Report #583 "Crisis" in Gaza

JINSA
1779 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Suite 515
Washington, DC 20036

202-667-3900
202-667-0601 Fax
July 14, 2006

JINSA Report #583

"Crisis" in Gaza

While Israel fights on two fronts against governments hiding behind
"terrorists" who violated international borders, kidnapped soldiers and
rained rockets into Israeli towns and villages (BEFORE Israel moved
against Lebanon), and while the airwaves are filled with Palestinians
wailing about starvation, please note the following. From the 7th to the
13th of July, Israel engineered the crossing of the following
humanitarian aid into Gaza, navigating among crossing points because of
Palestinian terrorist threats against all of the crossings:

1,840,000 liters of diesel fuel
100 tons of cooking gas
25,000 liters plus 2 additional truckloads of chlorine for water
purification *
50,000 liters plus 476 tons of gasoline *
1,080 tons plus 52 additional truckloads of grains *
800 tons plus 13 additional truckloads of sugar *
50 tons plus 8 additional truckloads of flour *
420 tons plus 17 additional truckloads of fruit *
169 tons of cooking oil and 120 tons of salt plus 7 additional
truckloads of both together*
160 tons plus 3 additional truckloads of rice *
40 tons of eggs
100 tons plus 6 additional truckloads of meat and fish *
14 refrigerated truckloads of dairy products
2 truckloads of mixed food, 5 of medical supplies, 2 of diapers and 1 of
spare parts for a water pumping station
44 truckloads of other international agency aid
18 (presumably gas) generators plus 1 diesel generator

IF Israel had chosen to make the Palestinian people pay a heavy price
for electing terrorists to govern them, and IF Israel had told the
Palestinian people that there would be consequences when their elected
government went to war against the State of Israel, we would not fault
Israel for its choice. BUT THAT CLEARLY WAS NOT THE CHOICE ISRAEL MADE.
Israel instead has worked under extraordinary circumstances to provide
for the Palestinian people what their elected government chooses not to
provide for them. We are dumbstruck; we have vast admiration for
Israel's humanity even as we wonder what kind of way this is to run a war.

IN THE MEANTIME, 578 Palestinians were stuck inside the Rafah crossing
station between Egypt and Gaza. Israel closed Rafah (normally controlled
by the PA) to ensure that Cpl. Shalit could not be taken out that way.
Israel had offered to let the Palestinians cross back through Kerem
Shalom, which is Israeli-controlled, but the Palestinians refused,
saying they would only cross at Rafah. There HAD BEEN 580 Palestinians
waiting in the station, but the Red Cross noted that two - including a
15-year-old boy - died there refusing to get on the Israeli buses. In a
literally breaking story, it appears that the Palestinians have now
demolished the walls of the station and reentered Gaza.

* Measures have been cited by the Embassy of Israel both ways. We don't
know how many tons are contained in each truckload, so we have listed
both tonnages and additional truckloads.

To view this JINSA Report online click on the link below.
http://www.jinsa.org/JINSAReports/3459
___________________________________________________
Have a comment on this JINSA Report? Send an email to feedback@jinsa.org to let us know.

Access past JINSA Reports at: http://www.jinsa.org/

If you would like to receive JINSA Reports by e-mail, please sign up online at
http://www.jinsa.org/lists/subscribe.html

To be removed from JINSA Reports distribution list, please go to the following page on the JINSA website
http://www.jinsa.org/lists/unsubscribe.html

If you would like to support JINSA, please click on the following link
http://www.jinsa.org/member/member.html