Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Gaza (Agenzia Fides) - According to local medical sources, the third day of the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip began with 14 deaths including 7 women and 4 children. In one night between Wednesday 9 and Thursday 10 July, the Israeli air force carried out more than 300 raids in a few hours. Several concordant testimonies confirm that, unlike previous military campaigns - where the bombing targets were mainly police stations and government buildings in the hands of the Islamists of Hamas - this time civilian houses and building are hit, along with refugee camp areas. Eight victims were reached by a rocket while attending the semi-finals of the World Cup football match Argentina-Netherlands in a bar of a village in the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, Egypt opened the Rafah crossing to allow wounded Palestinians to be assisted in the health facilities in the north of Sinai.
Faced with a growing number of victims - already more than seventy - and injured, Caritas Jerusalem warns of looming humanitarian emergency on the people of Gaza. The organization supports many projects and activities in the Strip, including a mobile clinic and a health center for psychological assistance for children with artificial limbs because of amputation due to previous Israeli military operations. All activities have been suspended since the start of the raid. Caritas workers present in Gaza are preparing for emergency interventions that will only be carried out when Israeli air strikes end.
In a statement sent to Fides Agency, Caritas Jerusalem condemns "the violence and killing of innocent people, especially those against women and children". "The people of Gaza – stresses the statement - already lives a tragic situation for the embargo to which it has been subjected for 12 years and has suffered three conflicts in eight years". The text released by Caritas Jerusalem reaffirms "the right of Israel to live in peace and the Israelis to live in security", and states that this right can never be guaranteed "by war and aggression against innocent people". The only way to achieve peace and security is "justice and a resolution of the conflict", which can make its way only by recognizing the Palestinian people the right to live in freedom in their own land and allowing Gaza to open to the world. (GV) (Agenzia Fides 10/07/2014)
