The State of Gaza Strip Border Crossings

18 to 29 Feb. 2008

During the reporting period, the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) continued to impose a crippling siege on the civilians of the Gaza Strip, and to severely restrict the movements of all civilians in Gaza. The tightening siege coincided with the launch of a large-scale IOF military operation, code-named ‘Operation winter Heat,’ which killed 108 Palestinians and injured several hundred others. The overall humanitarian situation continued to deteriorate, with poverty levels reaching 80% of the population, causing chronic economic and food insecurity and restricting access to fresh drinking water and fuel supplies.

Throughout the reporting period, the IOF continued to restrict and reduce fuel and electricity supplies to the Gaza strip, resulting in the continuing deterioration of living standards. The fuel shortage hampered the work of health workers, paramedics and humanitarian aid workers, as well as the delivery of essential services, including emergency medical, threatening the lives of hundreds of patients.

The closure of all border crossings to the Gaza Strip also continued throughout the reporting period, with the imposition of draconian restrictions on the movements of civilians to and from the Gaza Strip via Rafah and Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossings.

The IOF permitted a small number of civilians to access Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing, continuing to isolate the overwhelming majority of the population from the outside world, including the West Bank, occupied East Jerusalem and third countries. 

During the reporting period, the situation at the Gaza Strip commercial crossings, used for the movement of exports and imports, also deteriorated. Al-Mentar (Karni) crossing, the main commercial crossing in the Gaza Strip, was completely closed for ten days and partially opened for two days, in order to facilitate the import of some restricted food items. The Nahal Oz crossing, the main crossing for fuel supplies, was completely closed for 3 days, and partially opened for 9 days in order to facilitate the delivery of restricted quantities of fuel that were insufficient to meet the needs of the population of the Gaza Strip and Gaza’s sole power plant. Sofa crossing was open for a few hours a day for ten days of the reporting period. However the ban on imports of all aggregate and construction materials continued. Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing was closed during the reporting period, adding to the deterioration of standards of living in the Gaza Strip.

During the reporting period, PCHR documented the death of 4 patients from the Gaza Strip, who died as a result of being prevented from accessing Israeli hospitals or from chronic shortage of medicine in Gaza Strip hospitals. To date thirty Palestinians from the Gaza Strip have died as a direct result of being refused travel permits by the IOF, having their permits delayed, being obstructed at Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing, or chronic shortages of medicine in Gaza Strip hospitals. In addition, hundreds of other Palestinian civilians have been stranded in the Gaza Strip since August 2007, and continue to wait for permits to travel outside Gaza in order to resume their studies, medical treatment and work abroad.

 

Key Developments between 18 and 29 February 2008:

 

Civilian Movements

Rafah International Crossing Point and Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing remained closed throughout the 12-day reporting period. Rafah crossing and Beit Hanoun crossing have been closed for 260 and 263 days respectively since June 10, 2007.

During the reporting period the IOF allowed the passage of a small number of civilians through Beit Hanoun crossing under extremely restricted conditions. These included members of diplomatic missions, international employees working for international organizations, and a number of patients, who all crossed into Israel.

 

Rafah International Crossing Point

·              The crossing remained completely closed during the 12-day reporting period,

·              The Israeli occupation has imposed a strict closure on the crossing since 15 June 2007. Therefore, the crossing has been completely closed for 260 successive days.

·              On 18 February 2008, the Egyptian authorities allowed a group of Palestinians stranded in Egypt to return to the Gaza Strip. 334 Palestinians citizens returned to the Strip via Salah Haddin Gate on the Palestinian-Egyptian border. In addition, the Egyptian authorities allowed another 31 Palestinians who had been detained by the Egyptian authorities to return to the Gaza strip. These 31 Palestinians were released in two groups: 21 people were released on 25 February, and a further 10 people were released on 26 February.[1]

·              Hundreds of the Gaza strip residents have been waiting for permits to travel for study, treatment, or work abroad since June 2007.

·              Palestinians who have been waiting to travel outside Gaza since June 2007 include 500 students enrolled in Egyptian universities plus approximately 500 patients who need urgent medical treatment abroad. 

 

Beit Hanoun (Erez) Crossing

·              the crossing remained closed for the movement of the Gaza Strip residents during the 12-days reporting period,

·              the Israeli occupation allowed the movement of selected individuals, including members of diplomatic missions and some international employees working in international organizations. 

 

·              Since 17 January 2008, the IOF has prevented Palestinians working in international organizations, as well as traders, from entering Israel or accessing the West Bank.  

 

Prisoners’ Rights

For the eleventh successive month, the IOF has prevented residents of the Gaza Strip from visiting their relatives incarcerated in Israeli prisons. PCHR notes that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was responsible for organizing Gaza strip residents’ visits to their incarcerated relatives. However, these visits were suspended in June 2007. In addition, the Israeli occupation continues to prevent members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) from traveling between the Gaza strip and the West Bank via Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing.

 

·        Health Conditions

To date hundreds of Palestinian patients who require medical treatment outside of the Gaza Strip have been deprived of the right to access medical treatment because the IOF has refused to issue them permits to travel outside of Gaza. During the reporting period approximately 20 people a day were allowed to cross Beit Hanoun crossing for medical treatment in Israel or the West Bank. PCHR notes that patients who apply for permits in order to access medical treatment do so because appropriate treatment is not available in the Gaza Strip. They are not able to access Egyptian medical facilities as Rafah International Crossing Point remains closed.

1.            The Palestinian Ministry of Health (MOH) applied for permits for 453 patients from the Gaza Strip, who each require urgent treatment in the West Bank or in the Israeli hospitals. The Israeli occupation denied 44 applications out of the 453 applications submitted; i.e. 9.7% of the total number of applications, was denied. Another 146 applications for patients’ travel permits were submitted to the Israeli Occupation authorities during the same period and are still awaiting responses. Therefore the number of patients who were denied travel permits, including those still awaiting a response, is 190 people, 42% of the total number who applied for permits. However, PCHR notes that the IOF did allow 263 patients (58%) to pass through Beit Hanoun crossing for treatment.

2.            The IOF continued to prohibit Palestinian ambulances from passing through Beit Hanoun crossing in order to transport Palestinian patients to hospitals in Israel and in the West Bank. Some Palestinian ambulances transferring critically ill patients are allowed to enter the crossing in order to transfer patients to Israeli ambulances. Meanwhile Palestinian patients continue to be subjected to rigorous and sometimes humiliating inspections in the name of Israeli ‘security’ procedures, which result in severe delays for some patients.

3.            During the reporting period, the PCHR documented the death of four patients from the Gaza Strip – a woman; an infant; and two men. The number of patients who have died as a result of IOF restrictions since June 2007 stands at thirty, including 9 women and 7 children.

 

During the reporting period the following patients died:  

·              On 16 February 2008, Rim Fu’ad Mahmoud Al-Batsh, a 34 year old mother of six children died after the IOF delayed her access to Ichilov hospital in Israel for five days. Mrs. Al-Batsh had a serious stroke on 11 February 2008. She was transferred to Kamal Adwan hospital in the northern Gaza Strip and then transferred to Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza city as her condition deteriorated. The hospital staff made the decision to transfer her to the Ichilov hospital in Israel. According to MOH data, an application for a travel permit was submitted to the IOF on 11 February 2008. The IOF did not respond for five days, and Mrs  Al-Batsh’s health deteriorated on 15 February. She was pronounced dead the same day, before the Ministry of Health received approval from the Israeli occupation authorities for her permit. 

·              On 18 February 2008, Abdul Atheem Odeh Abed Rabboh Khader (59) died in Kamal Adwan hospital. He had suffered severe clogging of the arteries for two months and was being treated at the hospital ICU. He also suffered from diabetes and blood pressure, and required open-heart surgery. However, the closure of the Rafah crossing prevented his access to treatment outside Gaza, and open heart surgery is not possible in the Gaza Strip. PCHR notes that Mr  Khader did not have a Palestinian ID card, as he had lived outside of Gaza for 23 years, returning in 2005. .

·              Saed Mohammed Saed Al-Aidi, aged one year and a half, died on 19 February 2008. He had been suffering from a congenital liver defect, plus an absence of testicles in his scrotum, which caused severe swelling of the abdomen, and stunted growth. He had previously been treated in Egypt, but was unable to return to Egypt for further treatment due to the closure of Rafah. His health seriously deteriorated in July 2007. He was taken to Naser hospital and then transferred to the European Hospital in Khan Yunis, but his health continued to fail and he died on 19 February. 

·              Mohammed Hamad Mohammed Al-Hindi aged 51, died on 22 February 2008 due to a serious shortage in medication, and as a result of being prevented from accessing appropriate medical care. His health deteriorated about a year ago, and doctors recommended a CT scan. The scan was performed on 24 January 2008, and doctors subsequently medication including a drug used to control convulsions. However, Mr Al-Hindi’s family said they could not obtain the drug in Gaza and only very limited quantities from Egypt. On 20 February, doctors detected a hemorrhage, and recommended further medication. The required medicine was not available in Gaza. The patient’s family wanted him to receive treatment in Egypt at their own expense, but due to the closure of Rafah this was not possible. Mr Al-Hindi died in Gaza on 22 February.

 

Imports and Exports via Gaza Commercial Crossings

During the reporting period, the IOF continued to prevent exports of local Gazan products. Imports were also severely restricted. 

 

Al-Mentar (Karni) crossing

·              The crossing remained completely closed for exports and imports from and to the Gaza strip for 10 days of the 12 day reporting period. It was partially opened for two days, but for a few hours only. The IOF prevented exports of Gazan products to Israel, the West Bank, or third countries. Limited quantities of wheat, flour, and fodder were imported. 

·              PCHR notes that Al-Mentar crossing has been closed for a total of 218 days since June 2007. During that period it has been partially opened for 44 days, to allow limited imports of wheat, flour, and fodder. 

·              Due to these restrictions on imports, markets across the Gaza strip have witnessed serious shortage in food, medicine, and medical supplies, while the Gazan economic sector has been decimated, with an approximate 70% of factories and workshops being forced to close. Below is a table detailing the quantities of wheat, flour, and fodder that entered the Gaza Strip during the reporting period:

 

Goods imported to Gaza via Al-Mentar (Karni) crossing

              

Sofa Crossing:

·              The crossing remained completely closed for 2 days and partially closed for 10 days during the reporting period. IOF permitted imports of limited quantities of humanitarian aid for UNRWA and WFP and some basic goods for local traders.

·              During the reporting period, the IOF continued to prevent imports of aggregate and construction materials from entering the Gaza Strip. 

·              During the reporting period, the crossing operated only to allow imports of basic goods and humanitarian aid for UNRWA and WFP. IOF permitted 313 truckloads to enter via Sofa according to the following schedule: 12 truckloads of rice and medicines for UNRWA, 32 truckloads of flour for the Ministry of Social Affairs, 2 truckloads of medicines for the Ministry of Health, 2 truckloads of medicines for the UNICEF, 6 truckloads of cement for the sewerage project in eastern Jabalia city, 15 truckloads of flour, 18 truckloads of sugar, 3 truckloads of nylon, 82 truckloads of fruits, 39 truckloads of frozen meat, 38 truckloads of dairy products, 18 truckloads of rice, 3 truckloads of milk, 2 truckloads of sponge, 1 truckload of egg for incubators, 11 truckloads of cooking fat, 2 truckloads of frozen fish, and 21 truckloads of oil.

·              The IOF has continued to prevent imports of livestock to the Gaza Strip for more 2 months. Depriving traders from importing livestock to the Gaza Strip since 18 December 2007 has led to shortage of meats in local markets and butcheries, plus price increases. These price increases are expected to continue in view of meat shortages, and increasing demand. 

·              Imports of only very limited quantities of cement via the Palestinian-Egyptian borders in the wake of the breach of the borders in January means that Gaza faces a chronic shortage of construction and aggregate materials. Prices of cement, for example, have quadrupled and work on many construction and housing projects has entirely stopped, leading to the layoff of thousands of workers of the sector and causing further increases in unemployment rates.

 

Nahal Oz Crossing:

·              During the reporting period, the crossing operated on a limited basis. It was completely closed for 3 days for fuel deliveries, and closed for benzin deliveries for an additional 4 days. It was also closed for a further two days for diesel deliveries, and an additional day for deliveries of cooking gas and industrial fuel. 

·              As a result of severe reductions in fuel imports, Gaza is suffering chronic shortages of fuel, and benzin is now regularly unavailable in local stations.  Consequently, thousands of vehicles have been taken off the roads. Meanwhile, the Gaza power plant continues to operate below capacity due to shortages of fuel stocks. There have also been widespread shortages of cooking gas and during the reporting period, distributors reported having to stop selling cooking gas for several days as supplies diminished.

 

Fuel and Health:

The IOF decision to reduce supplies of fuel to the Gaza strip put patients’ lives at risk, whilst also hindering the work of medical crews and the delivery of medical services throughout the Gaza Strip. 

·              On 17 February 2008, 5 ambulances out of 7 had completely completely run out of fuel in Rafah’s Au Yousef Al-Najjar hospital. This coincided with IOF military operations in Al-Shokeh village east of Rafah city, that left 5 citizens dead and 15 injured.

·              The fuel crisis continues to affect the work of ambulances across the Gaza strip, resulting in delays in evacuating and treating the injured, including those requiring emergency medical aid. 

According to the Ministry of Health (MOH) the fuel crisis started two weeks ago, when fuel supplies allocated for ambulances and emergency services were reduced to less than 10% of the overall weekly requirement. The MOH ambulance service now receives 300 liters of benzin and 400 liters of diesel per week. Its full capacity needs are 4,200 liters of benzene and 3,500 liters of diesel per week, in order to 42 ambulances benzin and 15 diesel ambulances.

·              PCHR notes that the Gaza Strip residents’ daily needs of fuel amounts to approximately 350,000 liters of diesel, 120,000 liters of benzin, and 350 tons of cooking gas. The fuel and cooking gas supplied by Dor Alon Company before 25 October 2008 were sufficient.

 

The table below details reductions in fuel and gas deliveries to the Gaza Strip during the reporting period.

 

·              As indicated in the table, the IOF allowed only limited quantities of benzin into Gaza. The daily rates of quantities entering the Gaza Strip amounted to 9.166 liters of benzin, representing 7.6% of Gaza’s daily need, 77.000 liters of diesel (22% of the daily need), 177.276 tons of cooking gas (50% of daily need), and 228.933 liters of industrial gas required for the power plant. Gas station owners refused to accept the quantities of fuel, saying they were not sufficient. Industrial fuel was however delivered to the power plant. 

 

Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing

·              The crossing remained completely closed throughout the 12-day reporting period,

·              The crossing was closed following the Israeli defense minister’s decision to restrict the closure imposed on the Gaza Strip crossings on 1 January 2008. The IOF did not allow the entry of any goods via the crossing, including humanitarian aid from international organizations.

·              During the reporting period the IOF did not permit exports of strawberries or flowers from Gaza to European markets. According to Gaza Agriculture Cooperative, Gaza Strip farmers produce between 30 to 40 tons of strawberry a day during the strawberry harvest, far more than the quantities permitted to be exported outside of Gaza. The Cooperative estimated losses incurred by farmers as a result of export bans to be some $15 million. 

 

Imports of Sodium Hypochlorite used in drinking water purification banned

The IOF has prevented imports of sufficient sodium hypochlorite, used in purification of drinking water, for more than 40 days since the beginning of the year. The Coastal Municipalities Water Utility (CMWU) was forced to issue a public warning, urging Gazans to boil drinking water before consumption. 

The CMWU depends on Eleiwa Company for General Trade to import the sodium hypochlorite for domestic drinking water, whilst sodium hypochlorite supplies for water reservoirs come from the Makhteshim Company in Haifa. Eleiwa Company Director, Mr. Fayez Eleiwa, stated that before 15 June 2007, his company used to import the sodium hypochlorite in quantities covering the CMWU needs for 3 months in advance. However, on 3 January 2008, the Israeli occupation allowed 24 m³ of sodium hypochlorite to enter Gaza, sufficient for just 15 days. This caused shortages, and forced the CMWU to use its limited reserves. On 4 February 2008, the Israeli Occupation issued Mr. Eleiwa a permit to import a new quantity of sodium hypochlorite. However delivery of the sodium hypochlorite was delayed until 26 February. This caused stocks of sodium hypochlorite to completely run out, forcing CMWU to issue a public health warning. On 27 February, the IOF allowed 50 m³ of sodium hypochlorite to be imported, which is less than a full month’s supply. The Gaza Strip requires approximately 60 m³ of sodium hypochlorite a month.