Israel rejects Red Cross report

JERUSALEM, June 30 (UPI) -- A report published by the International Red Cross blames Israel for the situation in Gaza following the Israeli military operation earlier this year.

Israel, Tuesday criticized the report, saying it was inconceivable the document would chastise Israel for the situation in Gaza while ignoring the continued detention of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, The Jerusalem Post said.

Titled "1.5 million people trapped in despair," the report published Monday, focuses on what it describes as the "plight of the Palestinians," in the period following Operation Cast Lead.

The only reference the report makes to the Hamas initiated rocket attacks on southern Israel which spurred the military operation in Gaza, is to say while they put Israeli residents at risk, "medical workers in Israel provided care for the traumatized population …"

In comparison, the report says: "Many people in Gaza lost a child, a parent, another relative or friend, Israel's military operation left thousands of homes partly or totally destroyed. Whole neighborhoods were turned into rubble …"

Citing the Israeli imposed restrictions on the Gaza Strip, the report fails to mention the reason they were enforced but says since October 2007, poverty has worsened, unemployment has increased and public services have deteriorated. The report says emergency repairs conducted after the military operation have restored water and sanitation services to the "unsatisfactory level prevailing December 2008." The report blames the Israeli imposed closure on Gaza for the soaring unemployment, which it said reached 44 percent in April.

A lasting solution to the situation requires "fundamental changes in Israeli policy," the report says.