Sir, – David Abrahamson (January 17th) tells us that Michael Jansen is incorrect to refer to "Israeli-occupied Gaza" in her report (World News, January 4th) on the likely outcomes of the withdrawal of American funding by the Trump administration.
As made clear by the Israeli human rights organisation Btselem, under the international laws pertaining to occupation, as set out in the Hague and Geneva conventions, Israel is still technically the occupying and sovereign power in Gaza, controlling most of its borders, all of its airspace, and all of its coastline. In effective control of the Gaza Strip, Israel is responsible for the welfare of its population.
And what has Gaza’s actual treatment been? Israel has laid siege to Gaza since 2007, and made war on it in 2009 and 2014. Israel controls human movements in and out of the Gaza Strip, and the vast bulk of any movement of necessary supplies, such as food and building materials. Some 80 per cent of Gazans are dependent on food aid, and a significant proportion of the population suffers from malnutrition. – Yours, etc,
CONOR McCARTHY,
Monkstown,
Co Dublin.