November 2023

Letter to the Editors

From Stuart Berliner with reference to Issue 361

Dear Sirs

I almost totally disagree with Don Urquhart on the situation in Gaza.

You will find that the Jews of the UK are deeply saddened by the way that the Palestinians are suffering, but the slogan “Free Palestine” is incomplete.  It should be “Free Palestine from Hamas”!!  We are also seriously concerned at the unbelievable rise in anti Semitism around the world in general and in this country in particular.

We need to get some balance here.  Hamas has no interest in the lives of Palestinians. It is funded and armed by Iran, as is Hezbollah in Lebanon, another terrorist organisation.  The EU and UK has donated billions to help the lives of the poor Palestinians, but Hamas has hijacked/stolen this aid to build tunnels beneath hospitals, schools and residential blocks where they can store rockets, arms, explosives, etc and where they can be shielded from any danger. Any ‘peaceful’ Palestinian who speaks out against Hamas is obliterated by Hamas.

Over the years, Israel has provided paid employment to Palestinian workers who have no work in Gaza and the West Bank.  Israel only provides 10% of the power to Gaza, but it is damage to power cables caused by misfiring rockets from Gaza that have taken out power supplies.

Israel also treats Palestinians, including their leaders in Israeli hospitals!

In addition, Israel has supplied Gaza with building materials including water pipes to reconstruct the services in Gaza but Hamas has diverted these supplies to build tunnels and rockets.

Let me appraise you of more up to date information:-

•           Israel is attempting to enlarge the quantity of aid passed into the Gaza Strip by international organisations, while preserving Israel’s own security interests.
•           Coordinating between them, Israel, the USA, Egypt, and the UN are passing international humanitarian aid through the Rafah Crossing in Egypt. 
•           The aid includes water, food, and medical supplies and a total of 300 trucks have entered since October 21, 2023, including 61 trucks yesterday.
•           Hamas is in control of fuel reserves and continues to take control of private fuel reserves. Hamas controls supplies to hospitals and other vital facilities.
•           With Hamas in control of fuel, the water, sewage, and hospital systems are all directly affected.
•           Hamas places pressure on vital resources for civilians to create a more strained situation in Gaza to increase political tension locally and internationally.
•           All the vital facilities have alternative energy sources and are attempting to preserve the energy they have private access to.
•           Food reserves are sufficient for the near term.
•           International organisations are permitted to bring food aid into the Gaza Strip.
•           There is hoarding of food — purchasing at the groceries and hoarding by private parties.
•           Most drinking water has been supplied from within the Gaza strip – only 10 percent of water previously came from Israel.
•           Over the past two weeks, Israel has opened two water lines from Israel to the Gaza Strip, Birkat Sa’id and Bani Suheila, serving around 220,000 residents of the western Gaza Strip. This was hit by Hamas but has been repaired and is now functioning.
•           Israel is planning a humanitarian area in the western Khan Younis. International humanitarian aid will be routed there as needed. A field hospital will also be established.

Regards

Stuart Berliner