Editor,
This letter is in response to the article "Thousands of Gazans flee to Egypt" published in the Daily Lobo on Thursday.
It is incredible how an organization that has been condemned by the West and was the explanation behind the terrible sanctions imposed on the Gaza Strip will continue to take initiative against the Israeli government. Although the restrictions imposed on the Gaza Strip are nothing new, it is, nevertheless, something severe.
Health care and food are necessities that have been denied to the Gazans over the past couple of days. This terror, however, has been documented plenty of times earlier. Specifically, in June, the U.N. Humanitarian Affairs conducted research that threw light on the life of children, adults and the elderly living in the Gaza Strip.
Recently, Hamas fired 150 Qassam rockets into southern Israel, and less than half of them actually hit something.
With this in mind, Israel imposed its blockade on Gaza. Previously, however, the U.N. discovered that from June to October 2007, 400 rockets and 510 mortars were fired into Israel, and they injured 69 Israeli Defense Forces personnel and six civilians. During that same time, 142 Palestinian civilians were killed, 12 of whom were children, and 293 were injured.
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Clearly, the Palestinians are being targeted. It has been found that malnutrition is becoming a very common concern among children living in Gaza. Malnutrition is largely found in Third World countries, and Israel, which has administrative control over Gaza and its borders, is a First World country with most of its residents living in higher prosperity than citizens of the U.S.
Of course, U.N. humanitarian aid is allowed into Gaza, but only 40 percent of Gaza's food needs are being met. Aside from food shortages creating health problems, health care is inaccessible for Gazans. The U.N. reported that nearly 20 percent of Palestinians with medical emergencies are denied access to hospitals worldwide - even in hospitals located in Palestinian territories - for emergency or chronic medical treatment.
Moreover, while there is a deficiency of more than 25 percent of fundamental medications and medical supplies available to Gazans, 11 out of 18 psychiatric medications are unavailable to a growing population of Palestinians experiencing psychological problems. That situation is not advantageous for Israelis or Palestinians. Not surprisingly, the damages continue.
After reading the article, one feels relieved that the Palestinians were able to break through the barriers and obtain the supplies they had needed for days and the freedom they had wanted for years. Knowing that the children had the opportunity to be children and purchase sweets and the ill had the opportunity to be treated in Egyptian hospitals is exceptionally reassuring.
Observing the Egyptians taking the initiative to help their brethren and halt some of the injustices committed against the Palestinians is a lesson for all of humanity.
To conclude, if Israel and the West are so critical of Hamas' presence in Gaza and want to condemn its affiliation with terrorism, Israel should, with encouragement from the U.S. and its allies, discontinue its practice of terrorism and support the Palestinian people so that Palestinians will become discouraged by Hamas.
However, four nights ago in Rafah, a light was lit for all of Gaza by the unlikely.
Alaa El Maoued
UNM student
