Predictably the UN places the onus on Israel
Israel has allowed in some material for repairs of water and sewage systems, but aid officials say it’s not nearly enough to fix the problem.
The blockade has halted repairs of Gaza’s already overburdened sewage and water networks, and slowed construction of a globally funded, multimillion dollar wastewater treatment plant for northern Gaza. During the war, water and sewage pipes suffered more damage.
Gaylard, other U.N. officials and representatives of international aid groups held a news conference Thursday near sewage lagoons in northern Gaza to highlight the problem. One of the lagoons overflowed in 2007, killing five people.
But let’s back up a bit. Two and a half years ago the Jerusalem Post reported:
On February 9, the Shin Bet arrested Amar Azk, 37. During his interrogation, he confessed selling the pipes to Hamas and other terrorist organizations that manufactured Kassam rockets, fired almost daily at Israel. The Shin Bet said Azk’s activities began with the start of the second intifada in 2000 and were only brought to a halt by his arrest. The agency could not say how much metal Azk traded, except that it was “significant.”
So the materials that Israel allowed into Gaza were used to make war against Israel.Why doesn’t the UN demand that Hamas ensure that building materials are used for building and not turned into weapons? I won’t answer that, I don’t think I have too.
Crossposted on Soccer Dad.
Gosh, Dad, the US government shortly after Obama was inaugurated shoved millions of bucks at the Palestinians. Maybe we put strings on the grants so they can’t use the money to buy sewer and plumbing equipment? Can we now expect the companies that sold the pipes to the Palestinians to refuse to do so again because the pipes are used to try to kill Israelis?