Susan and myself are off to Gaza. We will be amongst many friends and staying with a family whom we looked after in Britain. The objects – solidarity first and foremost, the Dove and Dolphin, and for me to speak with the medical students of the Islamic University.

Nihad Taha has arranged a full schedule with some time to put our feet up as well!

I have met the students twice before. I was impressed with their calibre and their devotion to their studies. I have prepared two talks with 'power point' presentations for them at the request of my brother, Dr Khamis Elessi. One is on wound management and the other is philosophical – how should we care for people in sickness and in injury. Public health will be included in the discussion. I will, of course, speak of the advanced evisceration of our NHS which was set well in train under the 'Peace' envoy Blair.

The slopes of this South Devon valley are filling with greens of every hue. The wild cherry blossom has floated between land and air. The buzzard buteo buteo soars in the azure sky of this most beautiful spring.

He searches the ground for carrion with which to feed two swelling chicks. This is provided by rabbits which are going through yet another cycle of terrible suffering and death from the myxoma virus. This was introduced into the UK in 1953 deliberately.

The vultures wheel over Libya beside the drones but roasted carrion is not their usual feast. The flag of the Kingdom of Libya is being waved in victory. The jubilant rebels have decided on discretion rather than valour. The charred skeletons of the government tank crew have been left below and cannot join the party. Perhaps the celebrants know that the 'coalition' dispense U238 as liberally as their illusory democracy.

I wrote to you ** 10 November 2010 with six other citizens, pleading that you sought clemency for Tariq Aziz who had been sentenced to hang by the Iraqi Supreme Criminal Tribunal (ISCT). We observed that tribunal had been set up by the Coalition Provisional Authority after the illegal bombardment and invasion of Iraq and thus the verdict and sentence given by the ISCT were not founded in law. We received an entirely inadequate reply from the FCO about six weeks later.

This letter is open therefore.

This letter concerns very serious matters. I refer you to an article in the Jerusalem Post.
 

Introduction

The deliberate injury of the limbs of 23 boys by high velocity weapons has been logged and described by Defence for Children International – Palestine Branch (DCI-P) since March 2010. (1) Some of the facts have been published in national newspapers. These barbarous acts contravene international and national law but there are no judicial responses. The caring professions see the physical and mental pain of those who suffer and they should be in the vanguard in calling for this great cruelty to cease forthwith. Political leaders have failed to act. The Geneva Conventions Act 1957, which is of central importance in holding war criminals to account in the jurisdiction of the UK, is being emasculated.

Context

Most of the 1.5 million population of the Gaza strip is impoverished. Half are refugees from Mandate Palestine or their children. About 50% of the male population is without work. It has been isolated and occupied for decades. A commercial port was being built in 2000 but that was bombed by Israel. The isolation and the hobbling of its commerce was increased by a siege which was started in March 2006 in response to the election of a majority of Hamas members to the legislature. It was further tightened in June 2007 after the Hamas government pre-empted a coup by the Fatah faction that was led in Gaza by Mohammad Dahlan.