Donations continue to flow in for those trapped in Gaza

Support and aid for the people of Gaza continued to pour in from the UAE yesterday, as the Israeli attacks continued for a 15th day. Sheikh Mohammed bin Butti, the representative in Al Gharbia for Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, gave Dh4million (US$1.09m) to help Gazans and a television and radio appeal called Receive Them received further donations on top of the Dh315m pledged on Friday.

In Sharjah, the Red Crescent Authority began a blood donation campaign, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. They will explore ways to provide healthcare services in Palestine and work with health ministry officials there to assess blood needs. So far, more than 140 blood donations have been made by volunteers in the Khalid Lake area in Sharjah. The RCA is identifying other spots in the Emirates to set up blood-donor centres.

Umm al Qaiwain is also joining the effort. After directives from Sheikh Saud bin Rashid, Ruler of Umm al Qaiwain, all the mosques in Gaza that have been damaged by Israeli bombs will be renovated and re-equipped at his personal expense. A grand mosque is also to be built in Gaza, in tribute to Sheikh Rashid bin Ahmed, the Ruler who died this month. In Geneva yesterday, the UN Human Rights Council was urged in a statement by Obaid al Zaabi, the UAE's permanent representative to the UN office in Geneva, to step up to its legal responsibility of documenting and monitoring the "gross violations to the human rights" made by Israel in Gaza.

Mr al Zaabi, at a special session of the council, called Israel a "war machine" destroying everything in its path. He said Israel's blockade of Gaza was a "collective punishment for the Palestinians, which is a war crime and a flagrant violation of international law". "Israel's war machine has targeted almost everything in the Gaza Strip, including houses of worship, schools, hospitals, medical staff, paramedics and international staff," he said.