Gaza: Civilian population and economy hard hit by restrictions at crossing points

The closure of the Erez checkpoint in early August limits the movements of the 14,000 workers or traders from Gaza who travel to Israel (photo from February 2022).

AFP - MOHAMMED ABED

Text by: RFI Follow

2 mins

Since August 2, Israel has restricted access to roads leading to the Erez and Kerem Shalom crossings in southern Israel and blocked all movement of people and goods to and from the Gaza Strip.

But according to the inhabitants, these drastic measures on a land already under blockade for more than fifteen years to prevent responses from Islamic Jihad, have punitive consequences especially for the civilian population. 

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with our correspondent in the Occupied Palestinian Territories,

These restrictions on movement to and from the Gaza Strip were taken by the Israeli authorities, following a wave of arrests, in particular that of

in the West Bank, and for fear of reprisals from armed groups in Gaza.

But there are people who want to enter or leave Gaza to attend a funeral or a wedding of a family member in the West Bank or in Israel.

Above all, there are patients who need an operation or treatment for cancer or any urgent medical procedure that cannot be carried out in a hospital in Gaza.

However, for three days, it has been impossible for these Gazans to come and go outside the coastal enclave, while the average number of exits in recent weeks, according to COGAT, an organ of the Israeli Ministry of Defense in charge of Palestinian civilians, was 2,000 per day, including 100 to 120 for patients and their companions.

The economy hard hit too

The closure of Erez also limits the movements of the 14,000 workers or traders from Gaza who travel to Israel.

They can no longer work, and this leads to financial losses for their families and for the Gazan economy, further worsening the humanitarian conditions in the already fragile Gaza Strip.

As for the Kerem Shalom crossing point, where the goods transit, it is also completely closed and according to the Gaza Ministry of Agriculture, on Tuesday between 15 and 20 trucks of products were prevented from leaving, and between 60 and 65 trucks prevented from entering.

A huge loss for farmers and traders.

It is also through this crossing that the fuel needed for the Gaza power plant arrives, which could stop in the next few days, leading to a further reduction in the supply of electricity, already available only intermittently in some areas of Gaza.

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