(ANS - Bethlehem) - "The people are trapped in a cage, in a strip of land from which there is no escape because the borders are closed. And in this situation it makes no sense that the international community is not moving, especially since everyone knows that there are only civilian casualties." So said Luigi Bisceglia who works with VIS, the International Volunteer Service for Development in Palestine, in an interview with our editor.

"The hospitals are collapsing, there are no medicines or bandages to treat the wounded, and no diesel to produce electricity," Luigi Bisceglia reported from Bethlehem where he is now working with other colleagues to assist injured people. Meanwhile, right now, the toll from the bombing has risen to more than 200 dead and 1500 injured.

"Even before the bombing, the situation in the Gaza Strip was very serious but now it has collapsed totally. Today (14 July) is the seventh day of the bombing of Gaza and the situation continues to worsen. I think it's important to condemn violence by both sides, but what Israel is doing is really unacceptable. They continue relentlessly to strike civilian casualties. The response of the Israeli government is disproportionate to the offence."

Bisceglia says that even in Bethlehem, where the situation is calm, "you can still feel the tension in the air." Several agencies are working together to help the sorely afflicted Palestinian population. In particular, we need medicines, now a rare commodity in hospitals in the Gaza Strip. "We turned to friends and colleagues for a collection of medicines and bandages. In the various cities where we are present, such as Ramallah, Bethlehem and Jerusalem, we asked pharmacists to donate medicines for the wounded. At the same time we started  fundraising online, involving our Italian friends and colleagues, to  enable us to buy other drugs. This will allow us to alleviate, at least in part, the suffering of the people of Gaza."

"The international community must act quickly, we cannot stand idly by,” adds Mr. Bisceglia.   In the world there are currently fifty-seven unknown or forgotten conflicts, mostly in African countries. But everybody knows about Gaza. They know where it is but they still close their eyes."

Among the activities to raise awareness there is an appeal signed by thirty-four international organizations in recent days asking for an immediate ceasefire and the opening of humanitarian channels to bring assistance to the injured.

Published 16/07/2014