Gaza protest (From Durham Times)

Gaza protest

2:32pm Friday 5th February 2010

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Sir, – I write on behalf of the Durham County Branch of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

It has come to our attention that the steel wall that is currently being built on the Palestine- Egyptian border in order to block off tunnels used for supplies, under the auspices of the Egyptian government, is to be supplemented by an extensive series of pipes inserted in holes dug into soil on the Palestine side of the barrier.

Sea water will be used to flood existing tunnels and to drown those who attempt to construct new ones. The system will also, unfortunately, “irrigate” a wide stretch of land on the Palestinian side of the wall, thus ruining the area for agricultural purposes.

The Gaza population, with a large percentage already on starvation rations, 50 per cent existing on less than $2 a day, depended to an enormous extent on the tunnels for food, milk, fuel and other essentials (such as medicines). It is appalling that not only is the life line for vital supplies being cut off, under Israeli and Western pressure, but that there is also going to be a further loss, that of productive land.

Perhaps even worse, is that the steel wall is also going to block a vitally important underground aquifer that is a major supplier of water to the Gaza strip. The citizens of Gaza are already desperately short of water and this is going to lead to massive problems.

The vicious blockade on Gaza imposed by Israel, limiting or refusing entry to goods ranging from food, through much-needed medical equipment and materials for rebuilding the schools, homes and hospitals destroyed last year during operation Cast Lead, is the main reason for the problems experienced by the people of Gaza.

If you care about this, we would ask that you contact Foreign Secretary David Miliband and/or your MP to ask him/them (at House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA) to do all in their power to persuade the authorities not to block the aquifer or to introduce this inhumane system of flooding.

JOHN SEVERS Durham City

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