The Israeli occupation authorities (IOA) on Thursday evening arrested a Palestinian patient at Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing north of the Gaza Strip.
Head of studies and documentation unit at the Palestinian Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs Commission Abdulnaser Farwana told Quds Press that the Gazan citizen Naim Kotkot was arrested after being summoned by the Israeli intelligence at the crossing to obtain a permit to travel for treatment.
Farwana added that this is the second arrest documented at Beit Hanoun crossing in 2018. Over a week ago an employee of a Palestinian cellular communications company was arrested while travelling to attend a course at the company’s headquarters in Ramallah.
He pointed out in this regard that about 32 Gazans have been arrested by the IOA since the beginning of 2018 including fishermen and youths attempting to sneak into the 1948 occupied Palestine by crossing the border fence.
The Israeli authorities allow less than 4% of Gaza’s population to travel through Beit Hanoun crossing mostly students patients foreigners employees of foreign institutions and businessmen after their travel requests are approved by the Israeli intelligence.
Over a decade ago Israel imposed a tightened blockade on the Gaza Strip closing all crossings connecting it with the outside world through Egypt or the 1948 occupied Palestinian territories. The crossings might be opened partially in exceptional cases for the entry of goods or passengers.
Since the summer of 2013 Rafah crossing with Egypt has been opened for a few days only exceptionally for the travel of patients students and humanitarian cases. Currently there are 30000 Palestinians in Gaza who urgently need to travel for education or treatment purposes.
