[News] New Report on the Impact of Israeli Closure on the Gaza Strip

[Anti-Imperialist News]

    Report on the Impact of Israeli Closure on the Gaza Strip
    <http://english.pnn.ps/index.php/human-rights/4987-report-on-the-impact-of-israeli-closure-on-the-gaza-strip>


Published on Wednesday, 19 June 2013 13:12
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php/human-rights/4987-report-on-the-impact-of-israeli-closure-on-the-gaza-strip

This report is issued by Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) in 
the context of the closure policy imposed by the Israeli authorities on 
the Gaza Strip, which has been implemented for six consecutive years, 
which has affected Palestinians' lives in a brutal way. These cruel 
conditions resulted from the restrictions imposed on the border 
crossings affecting the economic, social and cultural rights of 1.6 
millions in the Gaza Strip and all their basic needs.

According to PCHR, this report, that covers the year 2012, documents the 
state of the Gaza Strip's border crossings used for the movement of 
persons and goods. Further, it presents comprehensive statistics on the 
border crossings showing the latest developments at the crossings and 
the impacts on the Gaza Strip. The report also refutes the Israeli 
claims on the alleged "easing" of the closure imposed on the Gaza Strip.

The reporting period witnessed a large-scale Israeli offensive on the 
Gaza Strip (14 -- 21 November 2012) for 8 consecutive days, which caused 
wide-scale destructions to civilian objects as well as governmental 
facilities. The issuance of this report coincides with the fourth 
anniversary of the latest Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip (27 
December 2008 -- 18 January 2009). It documents the impact of denying 
the entrance of construction materials for the private sector, which is 
in urgent need for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip in order to 
rebuild all civilian facilities that were destroyed partially or 
completely during the mentioned period.

The report presents statistics on the limited quantities of construction 
materials allowed for international organizations, in addition to 
statistics on the annual needs and the basic quantities needed to avoid 
a humanitarian crisis.

The full report is available online at:

http://www.pchrgaza.org/files/2013/Closure-Continues-2013.pdf

*SUMMARY*

Report Summary

.

The Closure Continues in 2012:

The economic and social indicators that PCHR documented, and others 
published by national bodies and institutions, Palestinian government 
ministries in Gaza, and international organizations such as the World 
Food Program, UNICEF and the United Nations Conference on Trade and 
Development, indicate that the continuous Israeli-imposed closure on the 
Gaza has caused a deterioration in the humanitarian situation and 
violated all economic and social rights of the population of the Gaza 
Strip.

.

Food insecurity:

40% of the Gaza Strip population suffers from food insecurity, 65% of 
whom are children. As a result, the levels of malnutrition, underweight, 
delayed or stunted growth, and anemia increased and became significantly 
higher than those in neighboring states.

.

Water Conditions:

The percentage of polluted, undrinkable water that reaches the Gaza 
population is 90%, which has created dangerous results that reflected, 
and will continue to, on the human health which is exposed to many 
dangerous diseases that threaten the lives of the population and their 
future.

.

Violation of the right to education:

The education sector suffers from a real crisis, caused by the closure 
and the inability to build new school; as a result of which the average 
number of students in one class room increased to 49 students per room 
in some schools which hinders the students' ability to comprehend actively.

.

Violation of the right to health:

The Gaza Strip witnessed a continuous lack in medicines and medical 
supplies, especially in March, June and November. Also, 2012 witnessed a 
shard decrease in the number of patients allowed to travel via Beit 
Hanoun "Erez" crossing to access hospitals in Israel, Jerusalem and the 
West Bank. The number of referred patients reached 8596; this number 
used to reach approximately 20,000 applications annually before the 
imposition of the closure in 2007.

.

Deterioration of the economic situation:

The economic situation deteriorated in 2012, as a result of the 
restrictions imposed on movement, the decrease of aid supply, and the 
paralysis of the private sector. Additionally, the inability to benefit 
from 40% of the Strip's lands, 82% of its ground water, 50% of its 
arable land and 85% of its fishing resources.

.

Poverty rates:

The percentage of Palestinian families living under the poverty line is 
40%. This large segment of population has lost social protection and 
respect to their fundamental right to a dignified life.

.

Violation of the right to work:

The unemployment rate in the Gaza Strip has reached 33% (third quarter 
of 2012) according to the Ministryof Labor's estimations. This 
percentage is significantly larger among the youth, as 45% of young men 
and 78.1% of young women are unemployed.

.

Naval blockade:

Palestinian fishermen were deprived from practicing their job, denied of 
85% of their income source due to the limited fishing area, even though 
it was increased in late November 2012 to 6 nautical miles. Israeli 
forces committed 257 violations against fishermen, including 106 
shooting incidents which led to killing of a fisherman and injuring 2 
others, 85 arrests, and 41 incidents which led to confiscation, 
destruction of fishing boats or damaging fishing equipment.

.

Employment of Karm Abu Salem crossing as the only commercial crossing in 
the Gaza Strip:

In 2012, Israeli forces employed Karm Abu Salem as the only operative 
commercial crossing in the Gaza Strip, in spite of its limited 
operational capacity. Also, the crossing is not well equipped to 
sufficiently supply all the needs of the Gaza Strip population. As a 
result, the transportation costs rose, which led to the rise imports' 
prices and adding additional financial burdens to the exporters.

.

Destruction and closure of al-Mentar crossing:

Israeli forces destroyed al-Mentar crossing's facilities, which was, 
before its closure on 02 March 2012, the major crossing in the Gaza 
Strip, as it was highly equipped for the entry of goods. 75% of the Gaza 
Strip's needs used to enter via this crossing, as its operational 
capacity allows the export of 400 and the import of 600 truckloads daily.

.

Previously taken steps to tighten the closure on the Gaza Strip:

In the past few years, Israeli forces have undertaken measures to 
tighten the closure on the Gaza Strip, including the complete closure of 
Nahal Oz crossing, which was dedicated for the delivery of fuel and 
cooking gas to the Gaza Strip, on 04 January 2010, and Sofa crossing, 
which was dedicated for the delivery of construction materials, on 15 
June 2007.

.

Ban on Gaza Strip imports:

Israeli forces continued to impose an almost-complete ban on the export 
of Gaza Strip products to the West Bank, Israel and other countries. In 
2012, Israeli authorities allowed the export of only 279 truckloads, an 
average of less than 1 truck per day, while the Strip's exports used to 
reach 150 truckloads daily before the imposition of the closure on it. 
The allowed exports represent less than 1% of the Gaza Strip exports 
before the closure.

.

Restrictions on Gaza Strip imports:

Israeli forces continued to ban the entry of a large number of goods to 
the Gaza Strip, the vast majority of which are raw materials, 
construction materials and heavy machinery. The average of daily imports 
to the Gaza Strip reached 161 truckloads in 2012, i.e. 28.3% of the 
number of truckloads (570 truckloads daily) imported into the Gaza Strip 
daily before the tightened closure was imposed on it.

.

Construction materials:

Israeli forces continue to ban the entrance of construction materials 
for the private sector, and allowed the entry of limited amounts for 
international organizations. In comparison with the Gaza Strip's annual 
needs in normal circumstances and before the imposition of the closure, 
the percentage of materials allowed into the Gaza Strip in 2012 reached 
7.03% of its needs of cement, 1.91% of the needed construction steel and 
89.46% of its needs of construction aggregates.

.

Vehicles:

In 2012, Israeli forces continued to ban the entry of buses, trucks and 
heavy machinery to the Gaza Strip, and imposed restrictions on the entry 
of small cars to the Strip, limiting the number of cars allowed to enter 
the Gaza Strip to 80 cars per week; thus, the prices of vehicles in the 
Gaza Strip are significantly higher than those in the West Bank.

.

Fuel:

Israeli forces continue to limit the amount of fuel allowed to enter the 
Gaza Strip since November 2007, and in 2012 they allowed the entry of 
very limited quantities of diesel, industrial fuel and benzene to the 
Gaza Strip, which used to reach 350,000 liters of diesel and 120,000 
liters of benzene daily before the Israeli authorities decision to limit 
the amount of fuel allowed into Gaza. Through the past six years, the 
Gaza population relied on the diesel and benzene imported to the Gaza 
Strip through the tunnels on the Palestinian -- Egyptian borders.

.

Cooking gas:

The Gaza Strip witnessed several gas crises in 2012, due to the 
reduction of gas amounts allowed into Gaza, as well as the repetitive 
closing of Karm Abu Salem crossing, and its limited operation capacity. 
The average amount of cooking gas allowed into the Gaza Strip in 2012 
reached 99.28 tonnes daily, i.e. 49.46% of Gaza's daily needs.

.

Beit Hanoun crossing:

In 2012, Israeli forces continued to close Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing 
for the movement of Palestinians. Israel only allows the movement of a 
limited number of groups: patients in critical state; international 
journalists; international workers; and travelers abroad. These groups 
were allowed to travel via the crossing under severe restrictions, 
complicated procedures and degrading treatment. Whilst civilians in the 
Gaza Strip have been denied access to holy places in Jerusalem and 
Bethlehem to perform religious rituals. Students were prevented from 
traveling to join universities in the West Bank. Families were prevented 
from visiting their relatives in the West Bank or vice versa.

.

Rafah International Crossing Point:

during the reporting period, Egyptian authorities added significant 
improvements on the operation mechanism of the Rafah Crossing Point, 
which eased the suffering of Palestinians wishing to travel through the 
sole outlet from Gaza. The operation of the crossing point continued 
under the same adopted mechanism before it was closed by Israeli 
authorities in June 2006, which allowed the following groups to travel 
to travel via the crossing without obtaining a travel permit: 
Palestinian women of all ages; Palestinian males under 18 and above 40 
years old; patients; holders of foreign passports; and students enrolled 
in Egyptian universities.

-- 
Freedom Archives 522 Valencia Street San Francisco, CA 94110 415 
863.9977 www.freedomarchives.org
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://freedomarchives.org/pipermail/news_freedomarchives.org/attachments/20130619/a121f79f/attachment.htm>