Ref: 30/2015
The Palestinian Center for Human Rights
(PCHR) published a new report as part of the series of the monthly
“Closure Reports” addressing the latest developments of the state of
the Gaza Strip border crossings in May 2015. The report documents the impact of
the ongoing Israel-imposed siege on Palestinian civilians, which affects their
economic and social conditions. It also refutes Israel’s claims that it has
eased the closure of the Gaza Strip for the eighth consecutive year.
Furthermore, the report highlights that the continuing Israeli measures aim to
the institutionalization of the closure and making the illegal restrictions
imposed on the movement of persons and goods acceptable on the international
level although they violate the international law, including the international
humanitarian and human rights laws.
According to the report, no remarkable
change was witnessed on the movement of commodities. An almost complete ban
continued on the exportation of commodities to the West bank, Israel and
abroad, but exceptionally allowed the exportation of 108 truckloads to the West
Bank; 90 truckloads of agricultural products, 9 truckloads of furniture, 6
truckloads of fish and 3 truckloads of clothes. This represents 2.4% of the Gaza Strip exports
before the total closure was imposed in June 2007.
Concerning the imports, more obstacles
were created for the entry of basic commodities to the Gaza Strip, especially
construction materials needed for Gaza reconstruction process and
infrastructure projects. However, Israeli forces allowed the entry of 7,540
truckloads, the majority of which were consumables constituting an average of
243 truckloads daily. The number of allowed truckloads represent 42.6% of the
number of truckloads that was allowed into the Gaza Strip before the total
closure was imposed in June 2007 (570 truckloads daily). It should be noted that
Karm Abu Salem crossing, which is the only commercial crossing in the Gaza
Strip, was closed in May for 11 days (35.4% of the total reporting period) due
to Jewish holidays or for security reasons.
As for the movement of persons, the Gaza
Strip population has been denied their right to the freedom of movement and has
been suffering due to obstacles imposed on their movement at all crossing
borders.
Rafah International Crossing Point was
completely closed in May (31 days), but it was partially opened for 3 days to
allow those who stuck out of the Gaza Strip to return. During the reporting
period, 1,629 persons returned to Gaza. the closure of the crossing hindered
the travel of about 90,000 persons who are in desperate need for travelling,
15,00 of whom are registered in the Ministry of Interior, 3,500 of them have
medical referrals according to the Borders and Crossings Commission in Gaza.
In May, Israeli forces continued to
impose additional restrictions on the movement of Palestinians via Beit Hanoun
(Erez) crossing, the only crossing between the Gaza Strip and West Bank,
including occupied Jerusalem and/or Israel. As a result, 1.8 million persons
were denied their right to travel. However, Israeli forces allowed limited
categories to travel via Beit Hanoun crossing: 1,370 patients accompanied by
1,378 persons; 9,544 businesspeople; 2,447 persons for personal needs; 809 workers
of international humanitarian organizations; 47 persons travelling via
al-Karama crossing; 236 relatives of prisoners in the Israeli jails and 1,026
elderly persons to perform prayers in al-Aqsa mosque. These categories travel
through the crossing under very complicated procedures. Israeli forces
continued to use Beit Hanoun crossing as a trap to blackmail and arrest
Palestinians. In May, Israeli forces arrested 2 Palestinians from Gaza,
including a man and a woman, while traveling via the said crossing.
In the report’s recommendations, PCHR
called upon the international community, particularly the High Contracting
Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian
Persons in Time of War, to immediately intervene to compel Israeli authorities
to open the Gaza Strip crossings and put an end to the grave deterioration of
humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.
The full report is available online at:
