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Israel is now cutting off the electricity to Gaza. As you know Israel controls it's borders and its sea.

"Hamas' violent takeover of Gaza in June prompted Israel to close the territory's borders to nearly everything except fuel, water, electricity and humanitarian relief. Last month the Cabinet declared Gaza a "hostile territory," clearing the way for a security panel to draft a plan for tighter sanctions. Defense Minister Ehud Barak's approval Thursday set the plan in motion.

"Because this is an entity that is hostile to us, there is no reason for us to supply them with electricity beyond the minimum required to prevent a crisis," Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai told Army Radio.

Israeli officials said they would not cut power to hospitals.

The sanctions plan also calls for cutbacks in Israeli supplies of fuel to Gaza as part of a long-term disengagement from the territory, but officials said they were focusing first on reducing the supply of electricity.

Israeli commentators said the government was moving gradually, testing how thoroughly it could isolate Gaza without widespread international protest. As an occupying power, Israel would be obligated under international law to provide essential services to Gaza and restricted in its use of sanctions.

"The measures Israel seeks to implement are based on the legal assumption that Gaza is no longer under occupation since the Israeli troop pullout," Yuval Shani, an international law expert, told Israel Radio. "That position is not shared by most countries or even most legal experts. Even if some of the measures will be legally defensible, there will be a diplomatic price."



"Legal and International Status - The West Bank and Gaza, with the exception of Jerusalem, were not annexed to Israel. Unlike the Golan Heights or Sinai, these areas did not belong to a sovereign nation whose sovereignty was recognized de jure (by law) after 1948. They were slated to be part of the Palestinian state to be created by the UN Partition plan of 1947, but that state never came into being. They were annexed by Jordan after the Israeli war and the annexation was given de facto recognition by most European states, but in the absence of a negotiated peace treaty, it was not recognized by law. Therefore, the Israeli government considers that the territories are not "occupied," land of a previous sovereign, and that the regulations of the Geneva Convention of 1949 do not apply to the West bank and Gaza Strip. These regulations prohibit confiscation of land for purposes other than security. In practice however, most of the world considers that the territories are occupied and that the settlements are illegal. The Israeli high court however, treats the West Bank and Gaza strip as if human rights provisions relating to occupied territories do apply. The United States considers that the settlements are an "obstacle to peace" but has never taken a stand on their legality. "

Hamas is the legally elected government of Palestine, but just where is Palestine? Looking at a map I can see the Gaza strip - a ghetto controlled by the Israelis - and I can see the West Bank - occupied by Israel and the Golan Heights.

I can't see "Palestine" anywhere.

It's hard to see how anyone can defend the Israelis. They have stolen Arab land, they have created ghettos, they have built their infamous apartheid wall, they have burnt most of the olive trees Arabs hold sacred and are an essential part of their life - ensuring they don't starve. They use tanks against civilians, and all this while claiming they are victims!! Enough is enough.

Look at maps of this area and see the real truth for Israel's aggression. They have been systematically squeezing the Arabs out of the area for years and have nearly finalized their plan. And, as I said before, all this while playing the victim.