Ref: 11/2021
Date: 26 January 2021
Time: 12:00 GMT
The continued closure of the Rafah Border in the face of Palestinians in Gaza is a true tragedy for thousands of Palestinians who urgently need to travel abroad, and for those abroad who wish to return home to the Gaza Strip.
The consequences of the border closure have been specifically tragic on the following groups: patients with medical referrals for treatment in Egyptian hospitals; students joining universities abroad; persons with residence status abroad; persons working abroad; and businesspersons with travel visas. Additionally, thousands of Palestinians abroad who wish to return home suffer due to the closure of the border, mostly patients who have concluded their treatment abroad, students and other citizens who wish to return to the Gaza Strip.
According to the Borders and Crossings Authority at the Ministry of the Interior, at least 20 thousand persons are registered for travel. However, this number does not reflect the true number of persons in need of travel who have lost hope of travelling in the near future and refrained from registering with the ministry, as those registered for months have not been able to travel to date. According to PCHR’s follow-up, the Rafah Border has been completely shut for two months, even though it did reopen sporadically and for a few days at a time since its preliminary shutdown in March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
PCHR appreciates the need for measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus; yet, the Centre sees that a balance should be maintained between health precautions and humanitarian needs, especially for those who require to travel urgently. Moreover, almost every country in the world, including Egypt, have opened their borders and ports in accordance with standards that safeguard public health and populations’ humanitarian needs.
PCHR reminds that the Gaza population’s suffering is originally the result of the illegal and inhumane Israeli closure, a form of collective punishment practiced against two million Palestinians. The Israeli authorities, as an occupation force, must immediately end the closure on the Gaza Strip and allow the freedom of movement of persons and goods, as the closure is a flagrant violation of the international humanitarian law and amounts to a crime against humanity.
It is also the duty of the High Contracting Parties to the 1949 Geneva Conventions to compel occupation authorities to adhere to IHL and fully open all of Gaza’s borders without restrictions, including Beit Hanoun “Erez” Crossing which is the only crossing that achieves geographical unity between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem; and to allow the Gaza population to travel freely between Palestinian cities, and abroad.
PCHR reiterates the Gaza Strip’s unique and historic ties with Egypt, and:
