Following sporadic confrontations between Israel and Gaza, on 27 December 2008 the Israeli Army launched a major military operation against the Gaza Strip by land and by air. In addition to considerable damage to infrastructure in Gaza, already seriously affected by the blockade of the Strip, the military attack resulted in the deaths of more than 1,300 Palestinians, of whom 30 per cent were children; and injured around 5,500, among them 1,800 children. On 17 January Israel unilaterally declared a ceasefire, and Hamas declared its own the following day. Nevertheless, the end of the hostilities was followed by numerous incursions into the Gaza Strip by the Israeli Army, and the launch of rockets onto Israeli territory.

According to this report by Velina Stoianova, the Spanish response to this humanitarian crisis was an appropriate one given the adaptation of cooperation activities to the identified needs, and the selection of sectors of intervention. Spanish cooperation followed the priorities of the emergency appeals made by the UN and the Red Cross; and in light of the direct response, the Spanish development cooperation agency AECID coordinated, made decisions and implemented its emergency strategy much more efficiently than other donors.

Among other observations, the report affirms that the humanitarian strategy of Spanish cooperation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories demonstrated its effectiveness and impact, and it can only be hoped that this will lead to a greater, more proactive role for Spain (and other better positioned donors) when it comes to advocacy in resolving the underlying political conflict.


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