Gaza is being ruled by an officially elected body, the Hamas, and before that by the Fatah. Occupied would be an Israeli-imposed form of government. Now Hamas, just like Fatah before them, chooses to wage war against Israel. Why should we supply them with anything? Everytime the crossings open to allow in provisions, Gazans open fire and kill Israelis. They can also shoot tens or rockets and mortars into Israel on a daily basis. How can they be short on provisions if they are armed to the teeth?

It's seems superficial for these groups to make a statement calling on Hamas to "refrain" after the fact, especially when they have been attacking (rather successfully) the fuel transfer depots.....why don't they highlight the fact that Israel supplies Gaza with much of their electricity form their plant in Ashkelon (another target of Hamas terrorism...)

Until Hamas can Guarantee the saftey of those at the border crossing , which have had repeated attacks Israel has no legal obligation to keep them open. I do not see the Human rights groups or UN protesting the feul blockade by oil workers in the UK due to pension issues. They expect Israel to deliver fuel to their sworn enemy and risk their lives doing it.

We do not occupy Gaza. If anything the Arabs are occupying Gaza. They should supply Israel with gasoline and electricity and food supplies under so-called occupation laws

NO international law requires that one State open its borders to another (just look at the US and Cuba or any Arab State and Israel); no law requires that two States at war open their borders to allow transfer of any material; and NO law requires that combatant states provide any aid and comfort to their enemies. The so-called Israeli "humanitarian" organizations are simply TA leftists dedicated to the destruction of the very state that affords them the liberty to complain as they do. Simply new kapos dedicated to the same mission as all kapos before them - the destruction of Judaism and anything related to it!

Another bad joke by the west- sick minds, biggoted hearts

to feed those who propose to kill us. Let them get their stuff via the Egyptian border

There is no Jewish presence in Gaza, remember the expulsion to make Gaza "Juderein". The fact that we supply anything to a entity that does not even recognize our existence is insane. With all the money , energy and hatred being spend by the Arabs in Gaza, they could have build an economy already. If you are going to disengage , then do so and do not give a damn thing. Our so-called liberal do gooders calling themselves "rights groups" are as usual supporting the perceived "underdogs" to show off their moral superior arrogant attitude, in order to only impress themselves.

Are homicide bombings, those horrible acts committed by arabs on Israeli civilians, in accordance with international law? What about the brainwashing process used by hamas / fatah ON THEIR OWN PEOPLE to convinces them that killing themselves is a good thing, is that in accordance with international law? I don't think so in either case. More proof that this is a cart of donkey dung: no nation can be *FORCED* to trade with another nation. If hamas is the legitimate government of Gaza, Israel has the *INTERNATIONAL RIGHT* to decide *NOT* to trade with them. Witness how many times this has been done by any number of nations against another under the name of sanctions. When, and *IF*, Gaza denounces hamas / fatah, gives up it's arms and *RECOGNIZES ISRAEL AND ITS RIGHT TO CONTINUE TO EXIST*, thne and only then should Israel begin to trade with Gaza. Either that, or Gaza should admit failure, denounces hamas / fatah, give up it's arms and beg Israel to annex it once again. As part of Israel, there would be no question of getting what they want.

seem to have a selective understanding about international law. Firing rockets into another country is also against international law and is regarded as an act of war. So firstly, those dumb hippies should try and get to the core of the problem - once that is sorted, the rest will fall into place.

INTERNATIONAL LAW IS ANTI- ISRAEL AND SELECTIVELY ONE SIDED.ISRAEL IT IS ENOUGH OF BEING TOLD WAHT TO DO AND NOT TO DO! THE SO CALLED " INTERNATIONAL LAW EXPERTS CAN "fxxxS" THEM SELVES !

it can only bring imports thru the sea not over land !!! why because there is a boycott against Israel to bring in imports thru Arab land passages. We complain ??? Does it help?

is an international obligation ???? LOL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seems to me the answer is to declare a state of war between Israel and Gaza/Hamas. The war already exists anyhow. Then, rather than call it a blockade of Gaza, we call it a war. Throughout history countries at war of blocked the flow of any goods into the adversary. Let's do that and call it a day.

They want the destruction of Israel. They use terrorism against the Palestinians and Israelis, They hate the Egyptians and they want Help ? ? ? Is this a Bad Joke ? Shalom from Houston Alberto

Sorry to inform but there is no such thing. The term occupation is defined in the Geneva Convention, but that only applies to territories belonging to another country. No such country exists. Second part the 'occupation' ends when other group becomes the government. Israel stopped being the government in ALL Arab areas in 1996. That was 12 years ago people. Third there is no such requirement to supply anything. Not gas, not power, not water, or even food. It says that an 'occupying power' can't prevent the supply. doesn't say a damn thing about supplying it. With a border to another country available even that makes the point moot. In short the so-called 'human rights' groups have not got a single fact right.

On 11 March 2008, the Department for Investigation of Police arrested two policemen from the Ma’ale Adumim police station. The two are suspected of severely abusing a Palestinian from al-‘Eizariya, a neighborhood in East Jerusalem. The arrest followed a complaint made by the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel. In early November 2007, the Palestinian man was detained and taken to the police station at the Ma’ale Adumim settlement, where, according to the complaint, two policemen severely abused him. They inserted objects into his body, urinated on him, and beat him viciously, among other things. The detainee, who was later released without being charged, after being interrogated, continues to suffer pain in various parts of his body. The arrest of policemen for abusing Palestinians is an extremely rare occurrence, even though abuse of Palestinians by Israeli security forces is common. In the Ma’ale Adumim police station alone, two other cases in which police officers assaulted Palestinians is known of. In the vast majority of cases, the authorities conduct a superficial investigation, and certainly do not prosecute assailants to the full extent of the law.

Palestinian population affected by the wall's route: Communities west of the barrier* Number of Communities :17 Number of Residents: 27,520 Communities east of the barrier that are completely or partially surrounded** Number of Communities : 54 Number of Residents: 247,800 * Residents of these towns and villages will require permits to live in their homes, and they will be able to leave their communities only via a gate in the barrier. The figure does not include three communities that are presently situated west of the barrier but lie east of the barrier according to the currently approved route.

22 April, 2008 The illegal exploitation of family members, who, in most instances, are not suspects themselves, has on many occasions caused severe psychological suffering to interrogees and to their innocent relatives. In more extreme cases, this method takes the form of psychological torture of a detainee rendering him a victim of a cruel psychological manipulation via the illegal exploitation of a close relative. In one such case, detailed in the report, the pressure caused by this form of abuse led the detainee to attempt suicide on several occasions. The report “Family Matters, Using Family Members to Pressure Detainees Under GSS Interrogation”, written by Attorney Aviel Liner, details a sampling of six cases involving the exploitation of family members. Some of the cases describe a “charade” presented before the detainee showing him that his loved ones are under detention and, like the interrogee, undergoing severe physical torture. In other cases, family members were, in fact, arrested and sometimes tortured, although they were not suspected of any offence whatsoever, all for the purpose of applying pressure on a relative undergoing interrogation. One of the cases outlined in the report concerns a detained couple held for an extended period of time, subjected to severe physical torture, and, in addition, refused knowledge of the fate of their young daughters, aged two and a half and 6 months, who were used as bargaining chips by the GSS.

i can find moshe's law/G-D's laws no problem but nothing about international law. their laws are none of my buisness---couldn't care less why do i need to stick my nose into their rules when i already have my hands full trying to do whats right with my own affairs?

This is war, when the PA stops war like behavior, normalcy can survive. Israel is not obliged to feed or care for her mortal enemy. Rockets are war and war is hell. Their choice. Their lives.

“….Israel does not permit Gaza residents to obtain fuel except via the fuel depot at Nahal Oz, on the Israel-Gaza border. The restrictions on fuel supply were upheld by Israel's Supreme Court in January 2008, in a decision condemned by human rights groups as authorizing collective punishment. However, since an attack on the Nahal Oz crossing on April 9 that killed two civilians, Israel has restricted fuel supplies to levels far below even the minimum, insufficient levels promised to the Supreme Court. It has transferred no diesel or petrol supply and just 1/3 of the industrial diesel needed for Gaza's power plant.” Read the complete statement here: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3537442,00.html

First of all- the human rights groups should live in Israel before they can start making statements about this-- after restrictions have been lifted - maybe that will give them some experience besides reading articles and liberal books. Second- where is Egypt? Let the Palestinians get fuel from them- Israel left Gaza and so Palestinians should find a new resource, it's is not and should not be Israel's responsibility to give any supplies to Gaza--

You have given answers to many naieve talkbacks.. And thanks for the link. N.

what's the matter with you, HRD ? you are linking to this very article. And #26 is still naive enough to thank you for it without checking the link first. What is this world coming to?

What about the Israeli human rights groups? Don't they live in Israel? And perhaps the bigots and ignaramus in the US can come and have a look round Gaza before they bang on about killing more Palestinian 'terrorists'.

Israel isn't occupying Gaza, which is an independent entity. If people need hospitalisation, Hamas should provide it, or, instead of forcing people to stay inside Gaza, allow them to go to Egyptian hospitals - and stop blockading the Egyptian side of the border. There's no blockages except the ones which Hamas insists on, and they've taken in excess of a million litres of fuel now. There's no shortage of anything in Gaza. If they were that poor, why did we see them bringing motorbikes, cars, LCD and plasma TV's through from Egypt when they broke through the wall. They have more than I do!

Disengagement doesn't just mean no Jews in Gaza, it means no relations. The Jeiwsh state should not provide food, water or power to Gaza. Its independent so it can provide for its own needs.