Occupied Territories

The Lancet, a leading medical journal, has published an excellent series on health in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The Executive Summary states:

This Series on the health status of 3·8 million people living in the occupied Palestinian territory details one of the most important flashpoints not only in Middle East politics, but for global security. The Lancet report examines aspects of the Palestinian health predicament: health services; maternal and child health; cardiovascular diseases; diabetes and cancer; health and human security; and the future of the healthcare system. The report has been written by a team of health scientists in the occupied Palestinian territory, together with international colleagues from WHO, associated UN agencies, and academic institutions in the USA, UK, Norway, and France.

An important initiative has been launched. A worldwide appeal is being made to Jewish men and women who are concerned about the occupation and human rights abuses in Palestine.

The petition states:

Out of a sense of shared responsibility and in the spirit of Jewish tradition - because the occupation is destroying the lives of the occupied and the souls of the occupiers.

Appeal to the Israeli government:

We the undersigned Jews want the Israeli occupation, settlements and blockade of Palestinian territories to come to an end. We call for humane living conditions and security for all the people in Israel and Palestine.

If you are Jewish and wish to sign the petition, click here.

B'Tselem has released their report for 2008. It is well-written, considered, cautious, even-handed and damning. It excludes Operation Cast Lead, for which the organisation is compiling a separate report.

You can download the full report by clicking here.

Here are three short videos that vividly illustrate the occupation of Hebron.