Israel Bulldozes Gaza Lands, Reinstates Blockade

On Monday, Israel allowed the UN to bring 33 trucks of food and medicine into Gaza, momentarily lifting the complete blockade which has been in force since November 6. With 750,000 people reliant on that aid, this was clearly a drop in the bucket.

On Tuesday, Israel reinstated the full blockade leaving the people of Gaza without essential humanitarian aid.

And then they upped the ante, as Israeli:

tanks, backed by a bulldozer and military jeep, rumbled about a quarter-mile deep into the tiny seaside strip…

Residents said they levelled lands along the border east of the city of Rafah. It was the first ground action in a week… The Israeli military described the activity as "a routine operation to uncover explosive devices near the border fence in the southern Gaza Strip." (h/t Cernig)

When the U.N. human rights High Commissioner Navi Pillay called on Israel to "immediately to lift its blockade of the Gaza Strip," saying:

"By function of this blockade, 1.5 million Palestinian men, women and children have been forcibly deprived of their most basic human rights for months ...This is in direct contravention of international human rights and humanitarian law. It must end now."

Israel responded – ignoring their own first breach of the cease fire – that they were shocked “to read the High Commissioner’s shortsighted press release.”