The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) warned on Monday of the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip as a result of the ongoing Israeli siege imposed on the freedom of movement in and out of Gaza affirming that this deprives more than 95% of Gazans from moving between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank or abroad.
The Center said in a statement on Monday that Rafah crossing on the borders with Egypt has been closed for more than 3 months furthering the suffering of the Gazan citizens particularly thousands of humanitarian cases whose health conditions have worsened.
It pointed out that more than 30000 people are still waiting for the crossing to be opened again the majority of whom are patients who do not receive the needed treatment in the poorly equipped Gaza hospitals university students in Egypt or other countries and other citizens who have visas or residence permits in other countries.
According to the PCHR Rafah crossing was closed for 156 days and opened for 10 days in both directions only for those returning to the Gaza Strip since the beginning of 2017. During that period 6209 people were able to travel while 9052 returned to Gaza.
It stressed that Israel’s 11-year blockade constitutes an illegal collective punishment against two million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and a flagrant violation of the international humanitarian law adding that Israel being the occupying power must provide the basic needs of the people living in the territories it occupies including Gaza.
The PCHR appealed to Egypt to respond to the humanitarian needs of the Gazan people and to provide the necessary facilities for their movement to and out of the Gaza Strip via Egypt.
