On a cold day, January 30th, more than 30 people gathered outside City Hall in downtown Fredericton to mark one year since the start of Israel’s 22-day offensive on Gaza, which left hundreds dead and millions of dollars in damages.

The vigil was held to serve as a reminder of the problems continuing along the Gaza Strip. Tracy Glynn is an organizer with the Fredericton Peace Coalition.

“We are here to talk about the fact that the people in Gaza right now are suffering,” said Glynn.

“It’s cold there. There’s flooding happening. People are losing their livestock, which is their only source of livelihood and food. It’s still a humanitarian disaster there and Israel has actually blocked some of the borders to humanitarian relief.”

Many of the protestors carried homemade banners and placards, often with grisly images of victims of the Israeli assault. One sign read: “Stop the Gaza Assault. Free Gaza Now.”

Chants of “Free, Free Palestine” continued, and occasionally a section of the crowd began to chant “Long live Intifada.”

The Arabic word Intifada means “to be shaken,  or to wake up”. Among the Palestinians, the Intifada represents a ’shaking off’ of the chains of the Israeli  occupation. It describes the Palestinians uprising against Israeli military rule.

Nowadays, Gaza itself remains badly broken.

Hundreds of families are mourning loved ones, and hundreds more are disabled by severe injuries. Thousands of homes were destroyed or badly damaged, and a strict Israeli and Egyptian blockade has blocked most reconstruction and glass, concrete and other building materials are banned.

“People need to rebuild — they need to build homes and they need concrete and the elements in order to build the homes, but Israel is saying that those materials are going to be used by Hamas, the government of Palestine,” Glynn said.

“So people need homes, they need to rebuild their lives — and we’re here today to talk about that and solemnly mark the anniversary of when so many people lost their lives,” she added.

The assault has destroyed 3,500 homes and more than 250 schools. The crisis in Gaza poses a humanitarian challenge that is beyond anybody’s reach, said Jack Gegenberg, an executive with the Jews for a Just Peace.

“At this point there seem to be not enough will in part of the international community to be able to change the nature of that reality for the people of Palestine including the people in Gaza,” said Gegenberg.

Many Israelis still believe the 22-day onslaught, which ended on January 18, was justified in a bid to curb Hamas’s rocket fire on their country’s southern communities.

However, the United Nations fact-finding team on human rights in the Palestinian territories have said Israel’s military offensive on Gaza “would seem to constitute a war crime of the greatest magnitude under international law”.

According to the UN report, both sides in the conflict — the Israeli Defense Forces and the forces of the Hamas government — have committed what amount to war crimes.

The report emphasized the tension between the Palestinians and the Israelis must reach an end and a solution must be found to create a more peaceful, and safe environment for the future generation.

“The parties must step back from the brink. All this violence must end.” said the UN Secretary-general Ban Ki- Moon in an open Security Council meeting.

Glynn said Canadians should express their solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza.

“We must all take responsibility,” said Glynn.

“Let’s demand that Canada take responsibility on calling Israel and Egypt to open their borders for humanitarian relief.”