Gaza
Strip
- Palestinians in Gaza are
‘locked in’, denied free
access to the remainder of
the occupied Palestinian
territory and the outside
world.
Movement restrictions
imposed by Israel since the
early 1990’s and intensified
in June 2007, following the
takeover of Gaza by Hamas,
have severely undermined the
living conditions. The
isolation of Gaza has been
exacerbated by restrictions
imposed by the Egyptian
authorities on its single
passengers crossing (Rafah),
as well as by the internal
Palestinian divide. The UN
Secretary-General
has found (link is external)
that the
blockade and related
restrictions contravene
international humanitarian
law as they target and
impose hardship on the
civilian population,
effectively penalizing them
for acts they have not
committed. Major escalations
of hostilities in the past
years have resulted in
extensive destruction and
internal displacement.
For access and movement related figures, see OCHA’s Gaza Crossings Activities Database or the monthly crossings operations status reports.
Significant increase in agricultural exports/transfers from Gaza during 2016 >>>
Preparedness for potential floods in Gaza undermined by import restrictions >>>
Serious deterioration in access of humanitarian staff to and from Gaza >>>