The Palestinian Center for Human Right (PCHR) said that Israel unprecedentedly tightened its blockade on the Gaza Strip last month and imposed more restrictions on the movement of goods and citizens at border crossings.
This came in its report on the traffic of goods and individuals at Karam Abu Salem and Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossings last October.
According to this report the quantity of goods that were allowed into Gaza through Karam Abu Salem crossing noticeably declined.
The volume of imports in October constituted 58.3 percent of the total imports in August while the exports did not exceed 3.1 percent of the total exports that were there before Israel imposed the siege on Gaza in June 2007.
Israel also persisted during the reporting month in banning entry of about 400 types of different supplies to Gaza mostly basic goods and raw materials.
Besides severe restrictions are still imposed on the delivery of building materials needed for reconstructing homes and structures in Gaza especially those destroyed during Israel’s wars on the impoverished enclave.
Israel only allowed of the total construction materials needed by Gaza 2.5 percent of cement 1.6 percent of steel and 5.3 of gravel.
There were also entry restrictions on cooking gas shipments last month where only 34.2 percent of the population’s total needs were allowed in.
As for the movement of citizens at Beit Hanoun crossing Israel reduced further the number of passengers allowed to cross into the Palestinian territories under its occupation.
Compared to last September the rate of travel rejections for Gaza patients increased. Therefore the travel of patients in October saw a decline by 33.9 percent.
Simultaneously a large number of patients’ companions were also denied travel during the same period. The rate of their rejected travel applications dropped by 36.5 percent compared to September.
Furthermore the rate of businessmen allowed to travel saw about a 20-percent decline while the number of people with humanitarian cases relatives of prisoners and elderly worshipers who visit the Aqsa Mosque on Fridays decreased by 54.3 percent 59.7 percent and 22 percent respectively.
