[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 66 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 66

  Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives concerning the 
                      humanitarian crisis in Gaza.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 15, 2009

 Mr. Kucinich (for himself, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Ellison, Mr. Hinchey, Ms. 
    Kaptur, Mr. McDermott, Mr. Rahall, Ms. Watson, and Ms. Woolsey) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                           on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives concerning the 
                      humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Whereas over 95 percent of the deaths incurred since the escalation of violence 
        in Gaza beginning December 27, 2008, have been Palestinians;
Whereas over 50 percent of the population of Gaza is under the age of 14;
Whereas on January 7, 2009, the United Nations found that over one-third of the 
        Palestinians killed in Gaza were civilians, while over 1,300 of the 
        injured are children;
Whereas on January 6, 2009, 40 civilians were killed and 55 civilians were 
        injured when the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) bombed two United Nations 
        facilities, including a school, where Palestinians were seeking shelter;
Whereas nearly the entire population of Gaza has no access to potable water or 
        functioning water systems, and sewage and wastewater systems have seized 
        due to lack of water and electricity, causing sewage overflows in some 
        residential neighborhoods, creating a public health crisis, according to 
        the World Bank;
Whereas reports indicate that since the beginning of the Israeli imposed 
        blockade in February 2006, approximately 200 Palestinians in Gaza have 
        died due to lack of access to medical goods and aid;
Whereas on January 7 and 8, 2009, the International Committee of the Red Cross 
        found a total of up to 65 bodies in two separate locations, both of 
        which included a number of emaciated children, in houses bombed in the 
        south of Gaza after four days of lack of ambulance access;
Whereas the United Nations Relief and Works Agency and the International 
        Committee of the Red Cross were temporarily forced to halt all aid 
        shipments, following the death of two United Nations aid truck drivers; 
        and
Whereas Articles 55 and 56 of the 4th Geneva Convention require ``ensuring the 
        food and medical supplies of the population'' and ``ensuring and 
        maintaining . . . the medical and hospital establishments and services, 
        public health and hygiene'': Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives calls on the Government 
of Israel and representatives of Hamas to implement an immediate and 
unconditional ceasefire and to allow unrestricted humanitarian access 
in Gaza.
                                 <all>