11th July, 2014
The following participants of the International Summer School RHEACH (Toward a Right
to Health Without Borders. Interdisciplinary approaches for social change) held in Izmir,
Turkey, 8th – 18th July, 2014, strongly condemn the Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip, as
part of a military operation codenamed “Protective Edge”, in gross violation of
international law, including international humanitarian law and the relevant provisions
on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, and in grave violation of the prohibition
of reprisals and collective punishment against the civilian population under occupation.
Israeli attacks, with the stated objective of stopping Palestinian rocket firing at southern
Israel and destroying the military infrastructure of Hamas and other armed groups, have
so far included heavy aerial and navy bombardment throughout the Gaza Strip. This
aggression is set in a context of a seven years-long virtually total blockade of the Gaza
Strip by Israel which has caused severe deterioration of Gaza’s health and sanitarian
conditions, loss of employment and severe shortage of basic means of survival for the
whole population. Conspicuous has been the silence of the international community
about this unacceptable situation.
According to the UN Office of the Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs – OCHA
(9/7/2014) (http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_sitrep_09_07_2014_.pdf )
“The targeting and destruction of residential properties in Gaza is the main cause of
civilian casualties… Gaza hospitals treating injuries are affected by severe shortages of
medical supplies and fuel needed to operate backup generators… Indiscriminate rocket
firing by armed groups from Gaza has targeted main Israeli population centers, but has
resulted in no casualties, so far. [As to July 9th, 1500 hrs] some 150 homes have been
destroyed or severely damaged by Israeli airstrikes, displacing about 900 people who are
being hosted by relatives”
The bombing of Gaza on the last few days has been preceded by West Bank killings,
ground invasions with tanks, overflights, violent home invasions, indiscriminate and
arbitrary civilian arrests, rearrests of freed prisoners, threats to force-feed hunger
strikers, and the free hand given to settler violence. Israel justifies the current operations
using the deaths of three young Israeli settlers in territory under full Israeli control in
the West Bank, deaths which remain unclaimed by any Palestinian faction, and whose
involvement Israel has produced no evidence for.
This letter is a sign of solidarity with the Palestinian population and a message telling
our governments and the public that we are opposed to this indiscriminate and
disproportionate violence and we believe that the continued silence of the international
community gives a green light to Israel to persist on its policy of violent reprisal and
collective punishment of the entire Palestinian population.
Signed:
FACULTY
Ildiko Otova, Anna Krasteva, New Bulgarian University, Sofia, Bulgaria
Alexis Benos, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
Angelo Stefanini, Marianna Parisotto and Martina Riccio, University of Bologna, Italy
Feride Aksu, Asli Davas, Ali Osman Karababa, Hur Hassoy, Raika Durusoy, Isil
Ergin, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
Sonia McKay, London Metropolitan University, United Kingdom
Elias Kondilis Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom
Carles X. Simó Noguera, University of Valencia, Spain
STUDENTS
University of Bologna:
Emma Cavalleri
Giovanni Visentin
Roberto Verardi
Migena Selcetaj
New Bulgarian University, Sofia:
Marina Trentcheva
Ege University, Izmir:
Zeynep Sedef Varol
Ayşe Nur Usturalı Mut
İlker Adıgüzel
University of Geneva:
Oriane Lacour
University of Valencia:
Rafa Campillo
Jan Lauer
London Metropolitan University
Natasha Choudary
Marina Anastasio
Charité – Universitätsmedizin, Berlin:
Charlotte Linke
Eva Sedlin
Judith Wagemann
TraMy Dang
London Queen Mary University of London
Camilla Ramus
Nicolas Blondel:
Hannah Cowan
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki:
Veziri Zacharoula
Kleidona Panagiota
Varela Giorgos
Papadopoulos Panagiotis