Attack ends but peace still elusive in Gaza

BY ZEINAB ZEIN
On January 17 Israel unilaterally called a halt to its military campaign in the Gaza strip. Hamas responded by agreeing to the ceasefire on condition that Israeli troops withdrew within a week, while Israel promised to withdraw its troops before the inauguration of President Barack Obama.

The conflict began on December 27 with a barrage of air and missile raids across the city that killed 225 Palestinians. On the other side of the border, one man was killed in the southern city of Netivot and several injured as Palestinian rocket attacks continued to hit Israel.

Amid the hostilities, rallies and vigils were held around the world with many questioning the proportionality of Israel’s attack. None have been more vocal than Australians, with Muslims and non-Muslims gathering throughout Sydney, from Lakemba to Town Hall, calling for an immediate ceasefire.

The Australian National Imams Council (ANIC) issued a statement calling on the Rudd Government to join other nations calling on Israel to stop its attacks on Gaza, where intense ground battles severely damaged local infrastructure and took the Palestinian death toll to nearly 1300, an estimated third of them children.

‘The gruesome scenes of lifeless bodies being pulled out from beneath rubble that was once their homes violated every notion of human rights and should be viewed by the Australian Government as an attack on Palestinian civilians,’ the ANIC statement said. ‘The ANIC believes that such pressure placed on the Israeli Government will result in the restoration of basic human rights for the 1.5 million people affected by this conflict.’

At the Sydney Town Hall rally, protestor Kassem Farhat said the Australian Muslim community had been greatly affected by the tragedy.

‘This is shown in the support that rallies have received,’ Mr Farhat said. ‘The reaction of our Muslim leaders on the other hand, in countries such as Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia is disgusting.’
In response to the attacks on Gaza, many Australian based Muslim charities are also doing all they can to help distribute vital emergency relief through their field offices in Gaza. Human Appeal International, which is based in Lakemba, has already supplied Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza with 50 medical beds and 200 medical mattresses.

But for many the response has been very personal. Zainab Chahine, 21, has dipped into her savings to help buy 1000 ‘free Palestine’ t-shirts, with all profits being donated to charity to help Palestinian civilians.

‘I wanted to do something and I thought of fundraising and I knew the best way to get Australian youth involved in helping Palestinians was through merchandise,’ Ms Chahine said.