Brutality of the Israeli crackdown

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/08/brutality-israeli-crackdown-palestinian-civilians

Version 0 of 1.

Until Tuesday, little had been reported about the Israeli army's brutal crackdown against Palestinians in the wake of the abduction and murder of three Israeli teenagers and of rockets fired into Southern Israel. We echo the words of the Israeli former combatants' organisation, Breaking the Silence: "We all bow our heads in mourning for the victims from both sides in the past weeks, in hope for an end to this cycle of bloodshed and occupation." Palestinian civilians, many of them children or teenagers, have borne the brunt of Israel's actions. An entire population, living under illegal Israeli occupation, is being collectively punished. In the West Bank, during the week of 19-25 June alone, Israeli soldiers shot and killed five Palestinian civilians, including a child, and wounded 14 others, including four children and a journalist. Israeli forces carried out 127 incursions in the West Bank. Hundreds of houses were raided and ransacked. Israel has said it is set to double the number of Palestinians it imprisons without charge or trial.

Over the course of that week, Israeli warplanes also launched 18 air strikes on civilian locations and military training sites in Gaza. Eighteen Palestinian civilians, including seven women and four children, were wounded. The structural violence of occupation is at the root of this escalation. Until Israeli occupation is ended and Palestinians control their own destiny, this suffering will continue. Palestinians are entitled to the freedom and security that we take for granted. The UK government must step up its efforts to end the occupation of East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza, and ensure there are clear economic and political consequences to Israel's ongoing occupation and colonisation through settlements.Tessa BlackstoneRichard Burden MPJeremy Corbyn MPAlex Cunningham MPMark Durkan MPHugh DykesRaymond JoliffeGerald Kaufman MPAndy Love MPMolly MeacherGrahame Morris MPSandra Osborne MPBob Russell MP Andy Slaughter MPJenny TongeDavid Ward MP