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Israel Destroys US-Built
Water Wells In
Gaza
By
Justin Huggler
The Independent - UK
11-5-3
- JERUSALEM -- The US has
reportedly complained after the Israeli army destroyed wells built for
civilians in Gaza by an American government aid agency.
-
- Huge areas have been demolished by the Israelis in the
Gaza Strip in recent weeks, including more than 150 homes.
-
- The wells had just been dug by the United States
Agency for International Development (USAid). A few months ago the
agency announced a $20m (£12m) project to rebuild infrastructure
including roads, electricity supply lines and sewers in the occupied
territories.
-
- The agency was reporting good progress. But its
workers were dismayed when they turned up to finish the wells and found
that their work had been destroyed. A source at the American embassy
said that when USAid complained, the Israelis told them that they
demolished the wells because Palestinian militants had been hiding in
them.
-
- That has been a regular claim from the Israeli
military to justify demolishing houses in Gaza - but in recent weeks
whole streets have been knocked down. Israel has also been accused of
trying to move refugee camps away from the border with Egypt.
-
- Spokesmen at the American embassy were careful not to
criticise the Israeli army. But according to reports in the Israeli
press yesterday, they were less diplomatic behind the scenes. The
newspaper Ma'ariv reported that the US had threatened to stop all
reconstruction work unless the Israeli army promised not to demolish
anything built by the Americans.
-
- Paul Patin, a spokesman for the embassy, denied that.
He said: "We don't have any plans to leave." But the Israeli authorities
are reportedly dismayed at the incident. Ma'ariv quoted unnamed
political sources as calling it a "failure". Someone identified as a
"high-ranking political official" said: "The Palestinian population is
not Israel's enemy."
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- Although Gaza is on the coast, the overpopulated strip
suffers severe shortages of clean water, and many drink salt water.
Wells are of vital importance. The Israeli army's blunder came after the
US State Department said that it would ask Congress to approve $2.2bn of
military aid for Israel in 2005, $60m more than the allocation for
2004.
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- The increase is part of an agreement made in the 1990s
to reduce economic assistance to Israel by $120m a year and
simultaneously increase military aid by $60m a year.
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- But the US has since agreed an extra $9bn of loan
guarantees over three years to bail out the Israeli economy, in serious
trouble after three years of the intifada.
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- The costly military response, led by the Prime
Minister, Ariel Sharon, has severely damaged tourism and investment in
Israel.
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- © 2003 Independent Digital (UK) Ltd
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- http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=460551
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Mulindwas Communication Group
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