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On 17 July 2018, the Israeli authorities announced the complete closure of the "Kerem Shalom" crossing in the south-east of the Gaza Strip. This measure blocks the entry of fuel supplies and cooking gas, allowing only medicines and food to pbad to Gaza after the approval of shipments one by one. The crossing is the only point where exports and imports to Gaza are allowed to move. The Israeli authorities also reduced the fishing area to three nautical miles, compared with six just a few days after reducing it by nine nautical miles. When and if fishermen navigate around this limit, they are more vulnerable to attacks by Israeli naval forces. The Israeli government claims that these measures are a response to the fires caused by the incendiary kites of the Gaza Strip.
million. Raed Fattouh, chairman of the Presidential Committee for Coordination of Goods (GCCP), spoke to Al Mezan about escalating restrictions. He said that on Monday, July 16, 2018, the Israeli authorities had formally informed him of their decision to ban the entry of all kinds of goods into the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom terminal , with the exception of drugs. Two hours later, Fattouh was informed of a slight change in Israeli measures that would allow food to enter Gaza. However, as of July 17, 2018, raw materials and all goods and merchandise, including fuel and cooking gas, will not be allowed in Gaza.
300 tons of cooking gas, 500,000 liters of gasoline and 200,000 liters of diesel is imported daily to Gaza by this crossing. Limiting the fuel input directly undermines the living conditions of the people of the Gaza Strip. In the light of the ongoing electricity crisis – power outages lasting more than 20 hours a day – Al Mezan expresses deep concern about the implications of this recent restriction imposed by the Israeli authorities. . If the new restrictions continue for a few more days, the hospitals could face serious difficulties to operate due to lack of fuel, leaving the entry of drugs in Gaza without much significance. A series of other actors, e.g. Humanitarian and relief agencies whose work relies heavily on imported fuel and materials may face serious difficulties in continuing their work, not to mention families whose basic needs are no longer enough to make ends meet.
The paralysis of the Gaza economy will worsen with a particularly negative impact on the commercial and industrial sectors, which are already almost collapsed. The restrictions imply a total ban on the entry of building materials, with serious consequences for the living conditions of thousands of displaced families due to the destruction of their homes during Israeli military attacks in 2014 and before . The slow reconstruction of Gaza should stop if the new restrictions persist
The freeze on exports and the lack of effective access to land and fishing grounds will lead to more serious economic losses, leading to higher poverty rates (currently 53%). ), extreme poverty (now at 33.7%) and unemployment (at 49.1% in the first quarter of 2018). This decline in living conditions is reflected in a serious denial of basic rights, such as adequate housing, health and living standards, among other rights.
Al Mezan implores the inaction of the international community regarding the aggravating closure and Israeli blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip for more than 11 years. As a form of collective punishment, closure is illegal under international law. It poses an insurmountable threat to the lives, well-being and dignity of Gaza's civilian population, which already suffers from aggravated duty deficits. The new measures will only exacerbate this situation and harm many people for alleged sins that they have not committed.
Al Mezan condemns these restrictions on freedom of movement and access and calls on the international community to act without delay to end the closure of Gaza. Al Mezan also stresses that the fragile situation in Gaza should not be aggravated by other collective sanctions, but by full respect of human rights and international law, including in situations of civil unrest. hostilities, and effective political development. human rights standards.
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