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<h2 class="contentheading"> <a
href="http://english.pnn.ps/index.php/human-rights/4987-report-on-the-impact-of-israeli-closure-on-the-gaza-strip">
Report on the Impact of Israeli Closure on the Gaza Strip</a> </h2>
<div class="article-tools clearfix">Published on Wednesday, 19 June
2013 13:12<br>
<small><small><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://english.pnn.ps/index.php/human-rights/4987-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</a></small></small><br>
<br>
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<span
style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 1.8; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);"></span>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.
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>The full report is available online at:</p>
<p><a
href="http://www.pchrgaza.org/files/2013/Closure-Continues-2013.pdf">http://www.pchrgaza.org/files/2013/Closure-Continues-2013.pdf</a><br>
</p>
<p><big><b>SUMMARY</b></big><br>
</p>
<p>
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<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Report Summary <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">•<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">The Closure Continues in 2012:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">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 <span style=""> </span>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. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">•<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Food insecurity:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">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. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">•<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Water Conditions:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">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. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">•<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Violation of the right to education:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">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. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">•<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Violation of the right to health:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">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. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">•<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Deterioration of the economic situation:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">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. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">•<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Poverty rates:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">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. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">•<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Violation of the right to work:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">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. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">•<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Naval blockade:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">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. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">•<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Employment of Karm Abu Salem crossing as the
only
commercial crossing in the Gaza Strip:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">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. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">•<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Destruction and closure of al-Mentar crossing:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">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. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">•<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Previously taken steps to tighten the closure
on the Gaza
Strip:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">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. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">•<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Ban on Gaza Strip imports:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">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. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">•<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Restrictions on Gaza Strip imports:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">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. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">•<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Construction materials:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">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. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">•<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Vehicles:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">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. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">•<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Fuel:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">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. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">•<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Cooking gas:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">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. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">•<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Beit Hanoun crossing:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">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. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">•<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Rafah International Crossing Point:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">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. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</p>
<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
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415 863.9977
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