The 22-day attack left more than 1,400 dead, the vast majority of them civilians, including nearly 400 children, over 5000 injured, displaced 50,000 and made 20,000 homeless. Some 3,600 homes were completely destroyed and 11,000 partially destroyed. Over 258 people died because Israeli forces prevented rescue services from reaching them. Most people were bombed to death, in or close to their homes, with over a third (519) cut down by Israeli Drones and a further 473 by jet planes.
If you want to know the effects of the import and export restrictions and the travel ban to and from Gaza on livelihoods, food security, education, health shelter, energy and water and sanitation read the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) report “Locked In”: The Humanitarian Impact of Two Years of Blockade on the Gaza Strip.
http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/Ocha_opt_Gaza_impact_of_two_years_of_blockade_August_2009_english.pdf
This documents clearly the humanitarian impact of the blockade imposed by Israel since June 2007 on the Gaza Strip but it also highlights facts about what happened during the military offensive. One set of chilling facts is that neo-natal deaths increased by 50%, miscarriages by 31% and women who gave birth were generally discharged 30 minutes after delivery, in order to free beds for the critically injured
Israel used white phosphorous, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, F16s, Apache and Cobra Helicopter gun ships, Naval Vessels, Tanks, APCs, Caterpillar Military Bulldozers and soldiers armed with M16s to systematically kill people and destroy Gaza's infrastructure, businesses and agricultural land and property.
In a new report by an alliance of 16 leading humanitarian and human rights groups http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/SKEA-7YYDWN?OpenDocument&rc=3&cc=pse , it is stated that the international community has betrayed the people of Gaza by failing to back their words with action to secure the ending of the Israeli blockade which is preventing reconstruction and recovery. Amnesty International UK's Director Kate Allen, one of the organisations involved, said: "The wretched reality endured by 1.5 million people in Gaza should appal anybody with an ounce of humanity. Sick, traumatised and impoverished people are being collectively punished by a cruel, illegal policy imposed by the Israeli authorities.
"Israel's responsibility to protect its citizens does not give it the right to punish every man, woman and child of Gaza. All states are obliged under international law to intervene to put an end to this brutal blockade but their leaders are failing in this fundamental measure of their own humanity. All states must insist that the Israeli government end its blockade and let the people of Gaza rebuild their shattered lives."
If you want to see the effects of the attack which intensified and escalated a policy of ethnic cleansing, deliberate destruction and a re-infliction of a new Nakba on the Palestinian people watch Spanish Film-Maker Alberto Arce and Mohammad Rujailah's 'To Shoot an Elephant' (2009) - an award-winning documentary shot during the attack, detailing war crimes and the impact on ordinary people, journalists and paramedics - http://toshootanelephant.com//
Surely it is now time for all of us to stop equivocating when it comes to this issue. A year of failed diplomacy and hand wringing by all of the western powers has left the region worse off as the deadly closure of Gaza continues, the colonisation of East Jerusalem and the West Bank continues, and the inalienable right of refugees to return to their homes still remains out of reach for millions. Palestinians have suffered crimes against humanity for too long under the guise of the ‘threat of terrorism’. All history books are replete with oppressors attempting to portray themselves as victims yet it is not those who have invaded and destroyed the homes of others, killing whole families, who are the ones criminalised.
It is the Palestinians who are and then demonised for daring to resist.
Both as trade unionists and citizens our solidarity and efforts, to stop this genocide, has never been as urgent as it is today.