There is no shortage of misinformation in your Letters column about Israel and its policies towards Palestinians.

When your correspondent (G Allan, 12 Nov 2010) refers to "terrorist-ruled Gaza" I have to agree! However I see the Israeli military as more deserving of the title, administering collective punishment to 1.5 million Palestinians trapped in the open prison of Gaza with a destroyed infrastructure, dependent on aid, living under barbaric conditions, denied basics. The UN, Red Cross and many other visiting observers have condemned Israel's blockade of the densely populated Strip. It is described as illegal, inhumane and is clearly a humanitarian disaster.

G Allan is wrong in simplistically dismissing Hamas as a terrorist group. In fact Hamas had popular support and were democratically elected in free and fair elections in 2006. While the launching of rockets against civilians is in no way defensible, (tell me again how many Israelis were killed by their rockets?), any people, threatened with oppression and ultimately genocide, will fight back in any way that they can. The brutal military assault by the powerful Israeli military, killing 1400 innocent Gazan civilians, was an outrage.

Despite Israel's attempting to tightly control the narrative of what is happening in Gaza and West Bank and its attempts at silencing dissent, the message is growing clearer as to the true nature of Israel's iron-fisted oppressive policy.

On the brighter side, I am inspired by the bravery of compassionate people who strive to help those in dire need by assisting convoys of aid to Gaza. Those who seek to bring convoys of humanitarian aid are not to be waved away as extremists. These are people who are prepared to support innocent Palestinians on their own land caught up in mid-East geopolitics.

Yes Israel must be a nerve-wracking place to live but Israelis may eventually learn they will not find peace and security enforcing an apartheid oppressive system that treats Palestinians as less than human!

Dr RON LOPERT