Hamas says it will be the only body to oversee relief efforts in Gaza.

Given Hamas’ record in the prompt and careful delivery of aid, giving this job to some other organisation might produce a better outcome for the people of Gaza.

Mahmoud Abbas says (of course) that the Palestinian Authority should be in charge of relief efforts. The PA has a history of indolence and corruption, but at least they are not formally committed to the destruction of all Jews, everywhere. So there is some realistic prospect for peace between Israel and a Palestinian State lead by the PA.

But there has been a serious decline in the already poor relationship between Hamas and the PA, with reports over a hundred Fatah members in Gaza have been murdered by Hamas in the last few weeks, many of them tortured to death, and at least three having had their eyes gouged out. This makes it seem likely that giving the PA responsibility for aid distribution in Gaza would lead to renewed fighting, with the potential for much greater loss of life than in Hamas’ conflict with Israel.

Egypt or Jordan are not likely to want to take responsibility for aid distribution, when this would expose them to violent retribution from Hamas, and by proxy Iran. Much as I hate to say it, this may be a time when direct UN responsibility for the distribution of aid is the only option likely to produce positive outcomes for the people of Gaza.

More on aid from Israel to Gaza: “More than 37,000 tons of staple foodstuff and emergency medical supplies entered the Gaza Strip through one Israeli crossing from the time Israel began its military offensive until it declared a unilateral cease-fire on January 17.”

A Mexican man has been arrested after confessing to dissolving some 300 bodies in caustic soda. The bodies of victims of drug related violence in Northern Mexico were delivered to him for disposal by gang members. He was apparently paid $600 a week for this service, a substantial amount in Mexico.

Incidentally, caustic soda is not an acid, but an alkaline salt. 

After the violent insurgent activity in Southern Thailand, it is hardly surprising that Thailand is not enthusiastic about welcoming Muslim refugees. Thailand has the right to protect its borders.

But the UN High Commissioner in Bangkok says they have had complaints that the Thai military is confiscating refugees’ boats and either dumping people on deserted islands or sending them back out to sea with no food or fuel. That would amount to murder. It sounds unlikely to me, but there is no love lost between the Thai military and muslims.

Some Rohingya were rescued by India after being turned away from Thailand, and it is clear from independent reports that they were not treated well by the Thais.

One of the interesting things about this is that complaints so far have been entirely directed at Thailand, which already bears most of the burden of feeding, housing and clothing the huge number of refugees from the North and East of Burma. The UN is largely useless there, as they seem to be everywhere else. The root cause of the problem is the Burmese regime’s ruthless repression of minority ethnic and religious groups, with many thousands killed and millions displaced. But this has not resulted in world-wide protests or all night sessions at the UN.

Most genuine practical help for the Burmese refugees has come from the Thai government, and from independent community or faith groups, many of them Christian. One is the Free Burma Rangers. I love their motto: ‘Love each other. Unite for freedom, justice and peace. Forgive and don’t hate each other. Pray with faith, act with courage. Never surrender.’

Please support them.

I still don’t understand this. Not the imposition of the death penalty – I don’t have a problem with that if the milk really was deliberately contaminated with melamine, and those who did it knew what the effect was likely to be. But why did they do it? I don’t understand how there could have been any financial benefit, so what was in it for them?