Introduction
Contrary to their claims of facilitation, the Israeli Occupation Forces
(IOF) continued, during the reporting period, to impose a total closure on the
Gaza Strip’s border crossings, including both those used for commercial
purposes and those used for the movement of the civilian population of the Gaza
Strip. No changes were observed at these
crossings during the reporting period.
Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing remained closed for Gazan civilians during
the reporting period. Only persons
within very limited categories were allowed to travel via the crossing and only
under very complicated procedures. The
civilian population in the Gaza Strip continued to be denied their right to
freedom of movement to and from the Gaza Strip. Additionally, IOF allowed
persons from a very limited number of previously specified categories—including
members of diplomatic missions, employees of international organizations, and a
limited number of Palestinian patients—to travel via Beit Hanoun crossing, also
under very complicated security procedures. Rafah International Crossing Point also remained closed during the
reporting period. According to the
Palestinian Ministry of Interior, there are 6,000 civilians, including more
than 2,000 patients who need urgent medical treatment abroad, stranded [HB1] in the
Gaza Strip and waiting for Rafah International Crossing Point to open so that
they can travel.
No changes were observed at crossings used for commercial purposes,
contrary to IOF’s claims that new goods had been permitted to enter into the
Gaza Strip. IOF allowed the delivery of
limited quantities of clothes and shoes. These goods had been held in Israeli ports for 3 years. The majority of the goods were damaged
because of this long delay in the Israeli ports and the poor conditions in
which they were stored. IOF also allowed
the delivery of limited quantities of glass, which does not meet the minimum
needs of the Gaza Strip. IOF prevented
the delivery of any new supplies of aluminum and wood.
The continued tightened closure and economic strangulation imposed by
IOF on more than 1.5 million civilians has resulted in poverty and unemployment
of unprecedented levels. The living
conditions of the civilian population have continued to deteriorate. There has been a shortage in basic goods and
prices have increased, especially those of construction materials whose entry
into the Gaza Strip has been denied for approximately 3 years and which are
direly needed to reconstruct civilian houses and establishments that were
destroyed during the latest Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip.
The following is a review of the most significant developments relevant
to Gaza border crossings during the 17-day reporting period:
First: Crossings Used for the Movement of Persons
Second: Crossings Used for the Movement of Goods
Following are the most significant details from Gaza border crossings
during the reporting period:
According to statements given to a PCHR fieldworker by the Crossings and
Borders Authority, Rafah International Crossing Point was completely closed
throughout the 17-day reporting period. Since 12 June 2007, the crossing point has been completely closed on 980
days. From time to time, the Egyptian
authorities allow limited numbers of Gazan civilians to travel via the crossing
for humanitarian reasons.
Dr. Ghazi Hamad, Head of the Crossings and Borders Authority, stated
that there are more than 6,000 civilians, including more than 2,000 patients
who urgently need medical treatment abroad and 4,000 students enrolled in
international universities and holders of foreign residency permits, registered
for travel at the Ministry of Interior in Gaza.
According to the Crossings and Borders Authority, approximately 60
people, including 20 members of a human rights delegation, 16 members of an
UNRWA delegation, a high-profile 4-member delegation headed by the Deputy
Foreign Minister of South Africa, and a 6-member Kuwaiti delegation, were granted
access to Egypt via Rafah International Crossing Point during the reporting
period. Also during the reporting
period, approximately 490 civilians, mostly patients and wounded persons who
received medical treatment in Egyptian hospitals were allowed to return to Gaza
via the crossing point in groups on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Transfer of Dead Palestinians to Gaza
The majority of Palestinian patients who were allowed to travel to Egypt
for medical treatment in Egyptian hospitals were suffering from serious
conditions and life-threatening diseases. During the reporting period, 2 Palestinian patients died in Egyptian
hospitals in spite of the medical care they received. The Egyptian authorities made the necessary
arrangements to transfer the body of a Palestinian child on 20 April 2010 and the
body of another civilian on 3 May 2010 to Gaza via Rafah International Crossing
Point.
The reporting period was distinguished by very tight restrictions
imposed by IOF on the movement of all categories of persons allowed to travel
via Beit Hanoun crossing, including: patients suffering from serious conditions,
Arabs who hold Israeli nationality, foreign journalists, employees of
international humanitarian organizations, and persons wishing to travel via al-Karama
International Crossing Point (Allenby Bridge) on the border with Jordan. During the reporting period, IOF completely
closed Beit Hanoun crossing on 4 days. Israel
also significantly reduced the number of Gazan patients who were allowed to
cross Beit Hanoun crossing during the reporting period.
According to the Civil Liaison Office at the Ministry of Civil Affairs,
the most significant developments relevant to the movement through Beit Hanoun
crossing were as follows:
– IOF completely closed the crossing for the movement of Gazan
civilians throughout the 17-day reporting period. The crossing was completely closed on 4 days
for the limited categories of persons that are generally allowed to travel via
the crossing.
– IOF completely closed the crossing on[HB5] 7 days
for Gazan businesspeople. The crossing
was opened for 10 days to allow approximately 50 businesspeople, an average of
less than 3 daily, to travel via the crossing; this represents a sharp decline
in comparison with the number of businesspeople who were allowed to travel via
the crossing six months ago, when an average of 10 businesspeople were allowed
to pass through the crossing daily. Before June 2007, approximately 150 businesspeople used to be allowed to
travel via the crossing daily.
– Patients’ Conditions: IOF completely closed the crossing on 4
days for the movement of Gazan patients who had medical referrals to hospitals
in Israel and/or in the West Bank. During
the partial opening of the crossing, IOF allowed only approximately 430
patients to travel via the crossing; compared to 2006, this figure marks a 50%
reduction in the number of patients allowed to travel via the crossing, to an
average of just 25 per day.
– Journalists, Diplomats and Workers of International
Humanitarian Organizations
During the reporting period, IOF barred the entry of journalists, media
representatives, diplomats and members of international humanitarian
organizations on 6 days. During the days
on which the crossing was open, IOF allowed approximately 30 journalists, 40
members of diplomatic missions and 375 employees of international humanitarian
organizations to enter Gaza under very complicated security procedures,
including multiple-day delays of many who were allowed to enter.
– Prisoners’ Visitation Rights
For more than 35 months, IOF have continued to prevent the families of
Gazans detained in Israeli jails from visiting their imprisoned relatives. There are approximately 800 Gazans detained
in Israeli jails. Such denial of family
visits, imposed since 6 June 2007, constitutes a violation of international
humanitarian law, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention. PCHR notes that approximately 150 of the
prisoners from the Gaza Strip had already been deprived of all visitation
rights prior to June 2007. IOF claim
that this deprivation of visitation rights is for security reasons. The prison visitation program was facilitated
by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) until IOF suspended it.
Developments relevant to al-Mentar Crossing during the Reporting Period:
– Al-Mentar crossing was completely closed for imports and
exports to and from the Gaza Strip on 11 days (64.7% of the reporting
period). The crossing was partially
opened on 6 days (35.3%) to allow the entry of approximately 175 truckloads carrying
approximately 6,600 tons of grains and approximately 300 truckloads carrying approximately
11,780 tons of fodders.
– From 13 June 2007, following Hamas’ takeover of the Gaza
Strip, up to the end of the reporting period, al-Mentar crossing has been
completely closed on 771 days.
– The continued closure of al-Mentar crossing has led to the
deterioration of humanitarian conditions of 1.5 million civilians living in the
Gaza Strip.
During the reporting period, IOF completely closed Nahal Oz crossing,
which is designed for the delivery of fuel supplies (including benzene, diesel,
industrial fuel and cooking gas). On 4
January 2010, IOF officially informed the Palestinian side of this total
closure. Before this decision, IOF
obstructed the delivery of fuel to Gaza via Nahal Oz crossing and reduced the
delivery of industrial fuel and cooking gas to minimal levels. As a result, the Gaza Strip suffered a severe
shortage of cooking gas and many cooking gas distribution stations were forced
to shut down. Furthermore, the operation
of the Gaza Power Production Plant was significantly affected due to the severe
shortage in industrial fuel; consequently, various areas of the Gaza Strip
suffered electrical power outages.
During the reporting period, Karm Abu Salem crossing was partially
opened on 11 days (64.7% of the reporting period), while it was completely
closed on 6 days (35.3%). PCHR notes
that Karm Abu Salem crossing has been closed on 484 days since 18 August 2008, when
the crossing was re-opened and designated by Israel as Gaza’s main commercial crossing. According to the Palestinian Ministry of
National Economy, the most significant developments relative to the movement at
Karm Abu Salem crossing were as follows:
– During the crossing’s partial opening, IOF allowed the entry
of approximately 1,320 truckloads of humanitarian aid and relief aid, including:
foodstuffs, blankets and medicines delivered by international humanitarian aid
organizations, namely WFP, ICRC, UNRWA, UNICEF, as well as the EU. Food items and fuel for local traders were
also allowed into Gaza via the crossing during its partial opening.
– The crossing was opened to allow the entry of 320 truckloads
of clothes, shoes and glass. No new
supplies of aluminum or wood were allowed into the Gaza Strip, contrary to
IOF’s claims. In the first half of April
2010, IOF allowed the delivery of 3 truckloads of aluminum. This quantity is not enough to cover even 10%
of Gaza’s need for aluminum. Under
normal conditions, Gaza
requires [HB6] 25
truckloads of aluminum daily. Also in
the first half of April 2010, IOF allowed the delivery of 3 truckloads of wood
(approximately 5% of Gaza’a daily need for wood). Gaza needs 60 truckloads of wood daily under
normal conditions. IOF have been imposing
a ban on the delivery of aluminum for approximately 3 years while the last
quantity of wood delivered to Gaza was during the Tahdiy’a (lull), which
took place before the Israeli offensive on Gaza that began in late December
2008.
– The export of flowers stopped during the reporting period
because the current flower season has ended. This season, IOF permitted the export of approximately 26 million
flowers, representing less than 50% of the flowers produced annually in the Gaza
Strip. Gaza produces approximately 60
million flowers annually, according to data provided by the Agricultural
Cooperative of Strawberry, Vegetable and Flower Farmers in northern Gaza. IOF also allowed the export of approximately
40 tons of strawberries during the current season (less than 3% of strawberries
produced for export). According to the Agricultural
Cooperative of Strawberry, Vegetable and Flower Farmers, Gaza produces 1,500
tons of strawberries for export annually.
– During the complete closure of the crossing, Israel barred the
delivery of humanitarian aid and basic foodstuffs. During its partial opening, the crossing
operated at a reduced capacity, and the daily average of truckloads allowed into
the Gaza Strip was approximately 77.
Fuel
– Following the complete closure of Nahal Oz crossing, which
was used for the delivery of fuel supplies into the Gaza Strip, IOF opened Karm
Abu Salem crossing for the delivery of limited quantities of fuel, which did
not meet the minimum needs of the Gaza Strip’s civilian population. The fuel crisis continued to affect various
aspects of life in the Gaza Strip. Gaza’s
Power Production Plant is still operating below its capacity due to the shortage
of industrial fuel; its operation was stopped for several days due to the lack
of fuel.[1] In addition, due to the shortage of cooking
gas, distribution stations were forced to shut down, and stations were
congested with empty gas cylinders. The
quantities of cooking gas that were permitted into Gaza during the reporting
period amounted to less than 36%
of civilians’ actual need in cooking gas. PCHR notes that large quantities of benzene and diesel continued to be imported
into Gaza via tunnels between Gaza and Egypt, while cooking gas cannot be entered
via tunnels due to technical constraints.
The delivery of fuel to Gaza during the reporting period was as follows:
– IOF stopped the delivery of benzene supplies to the Gaza
Strip during the reporting period. Only
45,000 liters of benzene were allowed into the Gaza Strip for UNRWA. It should be noted that before the decision
to reduce the quantities of fuel supplies in October 2007, Israel permitted the
delivery of 120,000 liters of benzene to Gaza per day.
– IOF stopped the delivery of diesel supplies to the Gaza
Strip during the reporting period. Only
294,000 liters of diesel were allowed into the Gaza Strip for UNRWA. Before the decision to reduce fuel supplies
to Gaza, Israel permitted the delivery of 350,000 liters of diesel to Gaza daily.
– During the reporting period, Gazan civilians endured severe
hardship due to the shortage of cooking gas resulting from the total ban
imposed by IOF on the delivery of cooking gas supplies to the Gaza Strip on 6 days. IOF allowed very limited quantities of
cooking gas (2,100 tons, with a daily average of only 123 tons) throughout the
17-day reporting period. IOF allowed the
entry of quantities that represent 35.3% of the Gaza Strip’s need in cooking
gas for the reporting period. It should
be noted that the Gaza Strip needs 350 tons of cooking gas daily.
– IOF imposed a total ban on the delivery of industrial fuel,
which is used to operate Gaza Power Production Plant, on six days. IOF opened Karm Abu Salem crossing for the
delivery of 3.9 million liters of industrial fuel to Gaza during the reporting
period. This quantity allowed the Plant
to operate at 6% of its productive capacity. It should be noted that Gaza depends on three sources of power: the Gaza
Power Production Plant, which provides 67-70 MW (34%); Israel, which provides
120 MW (58,5%); and Egypt, which provides 17.5 MW (7.5%).
Sofa crossing remained closed throughout the 17-day reporting
period. The crossing has been completely
closed since September 2008. All goods
and supplies that previously entered the Gaza Strip via Sofa crossing were rerouted
to Karm Abu Salem crossing.
Recommendations:
PCHR calls upon the international community, particularly the High
Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection
of Civilians in Times of War, to:
[1] The
reduction of amounts of the industrial fuel allowed into the Gaza Strip reduced
the operation of Gaza Power Production Plant to 80% of its natural capacity and
other factors have led to it operation in 50% of its capacity. For more details, see “PCHR is Deeply
Concerned over Continued Electrical Power Outage in the Gaza Strip”, PCHR, Press
Release, 28 January 2010.
