Gaza Still Boils
Israel's slow-motion genocide continues.
by Stephen Lendman
Pillar of Cloud settled nothing. Little changed for 1.7 million Gazans. Suffocating siege continues. Israel provoked two border incidents.
One Palestinian was shot and killed. Others were wounded. They threatened no one. These type incidents are commonplace. They won't end. Palestinians are blamed for Israeli crimes.
Daily life continues as before. Israel doesn't give. It takes, oppresses, and ignores rule of law principles. Memorandum of understanding terms aren't worth the paper they're written on.
Claims about Israeli concessions are premature at best. Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said Israel agreed to permit fishing up to six nautical miles offshore.
For years, it's been three. Big catches occur far offshore. Israel wants Palestinians denied them. That policy won't change.
On November 24, Netanyahu spokesman Mark Regev said "nothing has changed on the ground or at sea until it is agreed to by Israel and Egypt."
Egypt's Morsi largely conspires with Israel and Washington. Gazans suffer. Rhetorical support belies policy. Expect little change ahead.
According to the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, coastal waters up to 12 nautical miles are universally recognized as sovereign territory.
Moreover, Oslo terms were 20 nautical miles. Israel reneged. It unilaterally imposed three. Whatever Israel agrees to is meaningless.
Since 1948, Palestinians got nothing. Persecution continues ruthlessly. Occupation harshness denies Palestinians all fundamental rights.
Gazan waters belong to Palestine, not Israel. So does all sovereign land and air space. Israel wants all valued areas for itself. It keeps stealing them incrementally. It's official policy. It won't change.
Even Reuters reporter David Rohde agreed. "(L)ets be honest," he said. The fighting stopped. The "long and bitter struggle" continues. Pillar of Cloud settled nothing.
"Don't expect (current) dynamics to improve anytime soon." Peace "seem(s) more distant than ever."
