DOCSLIB.ORG

Palestine: Suspicion of Collaboration Upon Returning to the Gaza Strip

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Palestine: Suspicion of Collaboration Upon Returning to the Gaza Strip Query response 7 April 2020 Palestine: Suspicion of collaboration upon returning to the Gaza Strip – Is there any indication that a Palestinian who returns to the Gaza Strip could appear to be a collaborator with the Israeli authorities? – Would it matter if they return via Rafah (Egypt) or Erez (Israel)? – Would it matter if they return from neighbouring countries? – Could the length of the stay outside Gaza be significant? – Does it matter whether you sympathise with Hamas? – What types of reactions could the person returning face from authorities? – What types of interrogation methods could they be subjected to? – Societal suspicions and reactions Introduction This is an update of a query response that was published in 2018 on the same topic. Detailed information on what could lead Hamas to suspect collaboration is still difficult to access. However, Landinfo addressed this issue with some sources during a fact-finding trip to the West Bank and Gaza in October-November 2019. None of the sources consulted provided any significant new information about who could typically come under suspicion of collaboration with Israel upon returning to the Gaza Strip. However, we are updating this query response, as the issue is still relevant for the Norwegian immigration authorities. Collaboration with Israel involves providing sensitive information or otherwise assisting Israeli authorities in a way that damage national security in Palestine (B’Tselem 2011). In Gaza, the charges also apply if the actions damage the de facto authorities, Hamas. Hamas also considers people who share information with the Palestinian Authority (PA) to be collaborators. This is a consequence of PA having a security cooperation with Israel. Several sources indicate that Israel has pressured Palestinians to act as informants for many years (B’Tselem 2009; Omer 2014; Asad 2017; Greenwood 2017). Especially in the wake of wars and military conflicts with Israel in Gaza, Palestinians have been arrested and killed by Hamas, or groups affiliated with Hamas, for spying or otherwise assisting Israel (B’Tselem 2011, 2014, 2020; Greenwood 2017; UN General Assembly 2015, p. 16–17). The presentation below is based on reports from international organisations, including the UN, media reports and information from sources Landinfo consulted during and after the trip to Palestine in 2019. Most of the written source material is about collaboration with Israel in general and not specifically about collaboration upon returning to the Gaza Strip. However, it is precisely Palestinians who have been away for a period who typically come under suspicion. Many of them have been to places where the Israeli authorities have had easy access to them, such as prisons or hospitals. Gaza Palestinians who have crossed the border with Israel may also come under suspicion because they are dependent on permits from Israel. Some of the presentation is also based on Landinfo’s own assessments. We rely on information we have gathered over time on how Hamas operates and acts towards potential security threats. In addition to the trip to Palestine in autumn 2019, Landinfo visited the West Bank and Gaza in October 2016. The political climate in Gaza was one of several topics on both trips. Background – heavy restrictions on travel in and out of the Gaza Strip The Gaza Strip has been subject to an Israeli blockade for nearly 13 years as a result of Hamas taking full control of the area in June 2007 (OCHA 2020). The blockade involves heavy travel restrictions. There are two border crossings for entry and exit to the Gaza Strip: Erez/Beit Hanoun to Israel in the north, and Rafah to Egypt in the south. Traffic across both borders is strictly regulated by both Israel and Egypt (OCHA 2020; Gisha n.d.a; Landinfo & Lifos 2017, p. 6). It is only upon entry or exit via Erez that Gaza Palestinians must have contact with the Israeli authorities. Entry via Rafah is possible regardless of what border was crossed exiting Gaza (Gisha, meeting in Tel Aviv 2016). However, a person who left the Gaza Strip via Rafah cannot return via Erez, and this regulation is strictly enforced by Israel (Gisha, email April 2020). This is because in Israeli records it will still say that the person is staying in Gaza (Gisha, meeting 2016). If a person nevertheless should return via Erez after having left via Rafah, it must have been coordinated with the Israeli authorities. According to Gisha (email April 2020), this happens very rarely and only if there are special humanitarian reasons. According to Gisha, Israel has an extremely narrow definition of the term “humanitarian reasons”. The few people Gisha has managed to assist in getting Israeli coordination to travel Query response Palestine: Suspicion of collaboration upon returning to the Gaza Strip LANDINFO – 7 APRIL 2020 – 2 into the Gaza Strip from Israel, have either had very sick or dying close relatives (first degree relatives). The Rafah border crossing has been the only real way in and out of the Gaza Strip for the majority of the population. However, this border was closed more often than open during the period of 2014-2018. This is due to the unstable security situation on the Sinai Peninsula and the poor relationship between the Egyptian regime and Hamas (Landinfo & Lifos 2017, p. 6). However, since May 2018, the Egyptian authorities have kept the border at Rafah open on a more regular basis (OCHA 2020). Still, only a limited number of people can cross the border per day.1 The Erez border crossing is also strictly regulated. No one can leave without advance permission from the Israeli authorities (OCHA 2020). This is the route Palestinians use to travel between the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem and the West Bank (Landinfo & Lifos 2017, p. 16; Greenwood 2017). However, as part of Israel’s declared separation policy between these areas, the border is closed to normal passenger traffic. The border crossing is mainly reserved for trips to the West Bank and Israel for the following people/purposes (Gisha n.d.a): • patients, and their companions, receiving medical treatment on the West Bank or in Jerusalem and Israel • merchants • students with scholarships to study abroad, under certain strict conditions • public figures, including people with political office who are going to attend meetings/conferences on the West Bank or abroad • people with other humanitarian needs (see Landinfo & Lifos 2017, p. 15) • foreign diplomats, international press and international organisations with permission from the Israeli authorities Despite the restrictions, there is some traffic across both border crossings. The Israeli NGO Gisha has a particular focus on Palestinians’ freedom of movement and maintains statistics on passenger traffic in and out of Gaza. Their figures indicate that there has been an increase in the number of border crossings throughout 2018 and 2019, both at Rafah and Erez. There has been a general increase in the number of so-called “merchants” over Erez throughout 2019. See Gisha (n.d.b) for specific figures per month. 1 See OCHA (n.d.) for detailed information on the number of people who cross the border and the number of days the border is open. Query response Palestine: Suspicion of collaboration upon returning to the Gaza Strip LANDINFO – 7 APRIL 2020 – 3 Collaborators are a major challenge for Hamas For several years, Hamas has arrested and executed people they suspect of being informants for Israel (U.S. Department of State 2018, p. 75; UN Country Team in the Occupied Palestinian Territory 2017, p. 25; HRW 2018; B’Tselem 2011, 2014; PCHR 2018a, 2018b; OHCHR 2017; UNHCR 2018, p. 18). As of April 2018, 145 people were reportedly held in Internal Security custody for military prosecution for “security cases”, such as “collaboration with the occupation”. These are figures from Hamas’ own Ministry of the Interior (as published in HRW 2018, p. 50). Human Rights Watch documents specific cases both in Gaza and on the West Bank (HRW 2018). In the autumn of 2016, the head of the Hamas-affiliated think tank House of Wisdom told Landinfo that Hamas is doing what it can to expose collaborators. He also pointed out that collaboration can lead to very severe penalties (including the death penalty) as a deterrent. Moreover, he stated that Fatah people are a particular concern for Hamas, because they believe the authorities on the West Bank are providing security-related information to the Israelis. He also emphasized that there are collaborators in Gaza who are directly recruited by Israel: There are people working on the ground in Gaza who report to Ramallah who pass the information on to the Israelis who then bomb Gaza based on the information. Some of the people working on the ground in Gaza are working with Fatah people (sleeping cells) and some are collaborators recruited by the Israelis. The most damage is done by the latter. Those who worked in security before, well-educated persons with experience, will give important information (House of Wisdom, meeting in Gaza October 2016). Can someone be suspected of collaboration based on returning from abroad? In general, Landinfo has no reason to believe that Palestinians who return to Gaza from abroad will be considered collaborators simply because they have been out of the area. There are too many people who travel in and out of the Gaza Strip for that. What really matters is • who you are • why you were gone • whether you have been in close contact with Israelis other than at the border crossing • whether it appears as if you have received favourable treatment Query response Palestine: Suspicion of collaboration upon returning to the Gaza Strip LANDINFO – 7 APRIL 2020 – 4 Hamas will be able to investigate this at its checkpoints on the Palestinian side of the border crossings.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Humanitarian Monitor CAP Occupied Palestinian Territory Number 17 September 2007
    The Humanitarian Monitor CAP occupied Palestinian territory Number 17 September 2007 Overview- Key Issues Table of Contents Update on Continued Closure of Gaza Key Issues 1 - 2 Crossings Regional Focus 3 Access and Crossings Rafah and Karni crossings remain closed after more than threemonths. Protection of Civilians 4 - 5 The movement of goods via Gaza border crossings significantly Child Protection 6-7 declined in September compared to previous months. The average Violence & Private 8-9 of 106 truckloads per day that was recorded between 19 June and Property 13 September has dropped to approximately 50 truckloads per day 10 - 11 since mid-September. Sufa crossing (usually opened 5 days a week) Access was closed for 16 days in September, including 8 days for Israeli Socio-economic 12 - 13 holidays, while Kerem Shalom was open only 14 days throughout Conditions the month. The Israeli Civil Liaison Administration reported that the Health 14 - 15 reduction of working hours was due to the Muslim holy month Food Security & 16 - 18 of Ramadan, Jewish holidays and more importantly attacks on the Agriculture crossings by Palestinian militants from inside Gaza. Water & Sanitation 19 Impact of Closure Education 20 As a result of the increased restrictions on Gaza border crossings, The Response 21 - 22 an increasing number of food items – including fruits, fresh meat and fish, frozen meat, frozen vegetables, chicken, powdered milk, dairy Sources & End Notes 23 - 26 products, beverages and cooking oil – are experiencing shortages on the local market. The World Food Programme (WFP) has also reported significant increases in the costs of these items, due to supply, paid for by deductions from overdue Palestinian tax increases in prices on the global market as well as due to restrictions revenues that Israel withholds.
    [Show full text]
  • Palestinian Shot Near Rafah Crossing by ASSOCIATED PRESS EL-ARISH, Egypt
    Palestinian shot near Rafah Crossing By ASSOCIATED PRESS EL-ARISH, Egypt Talkbacks for this article: 5 A Palestinian official at the Rafah border crossing with Gaza was wounded in shooting Friday that Egyptian security and border officials described as an assassination attempt. Mustafa Saad Jbour, a 25-year-old Palestinian officer on the Rafah checkpoint sustained several bullet wounds to the leg, Capt. Mohammed Badr of the Egyptian Sinai security service said. Badr said that Jbour, who was in hospital in the nearby El-Arish town, came under machine gun fire Friday evening in the Egyptian district, just a few hundreds meters (yards) from the Egypt-Gaza crossing, when masked militants in a speeding car sprayed him with bullets and fled the scene. The shooting came after Jbour had informed Egyptian authorities earlier in the week about uncovering a tunnel in the border city of Rafah, that allegedly was used to smuggle weapons and Palestinians from the Sinai Peninsula into Gaza. Hospital officials at El-Arish said that Jbour has lost a lot of blood and would be transferred to another hospital for surgery. Badr also said that the tunnel discovered by Jbour contained over 30,000 bullets and was located in the middle of a field, about 5 kilometers (3 miles) north of Rafah and within meters (yards) of the boundary. Egypt was coordinating with Palestinian authorities in Gaza to close the newly discovered tunnel from the other end, Badr added. Israel has long accused Egypt of not doing enough to stop the smuggling of weapons to Palestinian militants.
    [Show full text]
  • Defeating Terror Promoting Peace ISRAEL MINISTRY of FOREIGN AFFAIRS
    ISRAEL MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS Israel’s Operation against Hamas Defeating Terror Promoting Peace ISRAEL MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS 1 Moderates vs. Extremists The Struggle for Regional Peace Israel desires peace with those who seek peace, but must deter those who seek its destruction ISRAEL MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS Israel's greatest hope Signing the Israel-Jordan is to live in peace and security with all its neighbors Peace Treaty ISRAEL MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS Prime Minister Begin, President Sadat and Israel Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Foreign Minister Livni meets with Qatar President Carter signing the Israel-Egypt Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabr Al- Peace Treaty, Washington, 26 March 1979 with US President Bush at the Annapolis Thani at the 8th Doha Forum on Democracy, Conference, November 2007 Development, and Free Trade (April 2008) More info Foreign Minister Livni meets with Former Israel Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, MASHAV Course for Palestinian Farmers on Foreign Minister of Oman Yousef Bin Alawi US President George Bush and Palestinian Cooperative Development in Rural Areas Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas Middle East summit in Aqaba (June 2003) Israel has proven its ability to make peace with those who desire peace. The moderates in the region agree on the need for a “two-state solution” to the Palestinian issue ISRAEL MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS Assad and Ahmadinejad Hamas in Gaza - September 2007 Ahmadinejad and Nasrallah While Israel desires peace with those who seek peace,
    [Show full text]
  • Crossing and Constructing Borders Within Daily Contacts Cedric Parizot
    Crossing and constructing borders within daily contacts Cedric Parizot To cite this version: Cedric Parizot. Crossing and constructing borders within daily contacts: Social and economic relations between the Bedouin in the Negev and their network in Gaza, the West Bank and Jordan. NOTES DE RECHERCHE DU CER, 2004, Aix en Provence. halshs-00080661 HAL Id: halshs-00080661 https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-00080661 Submitted on 20 Jun 2006 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. CENTRE D’ECONOMIE REGIONALE DE L'EMPLOI ET DES FIRMES INTERNATIONALES NOTES DE RECHERCHE DU CER CROSSING AND CONSTRUCTING BORDERS WITHIN DAILY CONTACTS: SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC RELATIONS BETWEEN THE BEDOUIN IN THE NEGEV AND THEIR NETWORKS IN GAZA, THE WEST BANK AND JORDAN N° 287 - 2004/10 Cédric PARIZOT CENTRE D'ECONOMIE REGIONALE, DE L'EMPLOI ET DES FIRMES INTERNATIONALES Faculté d’Economie Appliquée Université Paul Cézanne – Aix-Marseille III 15-19 allée Claude Forbin F-13627 Aix en Provence Cedex 1 Tél. : (0)4 42 21 60 11 - Fax : (0)4 42 23 08 94 E.mail : [email protected]
    [Show full text]
  • Egypt and Israel: Tunnel Neutralization Efforts in Gaza
    WL KNO EDGE NCE ISM SA ER IS E A TE N K N O K C E N N T N I S E S J E N A 3 V H A A N H Z И O E P W O I T E D N E Z I A M I C O N O C C I O T N S H O E L C A I N M Z E N O T Egypt and Israel: Tunnel Neutralization Efforts in Gaza LUCAS WINTER Open Source, Foreign Perspective, Underconsidered/Understudied Topics The Foreign Military Studies Office (FMSO) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is an open source research organization of the U.S. Army. It was founded in 1986 as an innovative program that brought together military specialists and civilian academics to focus on military and security topics derived from unclassified, foreign media. Today FMSO maintains this research tradition of special insight and highly collaborative work by conducting unclassified research on foreign perspectives of defense and security issues that are understudied or unconsidered. Author Background Mr. Winter is a Middle East analyst for the Foreign Military Studies Office. He holds a master’s degree in international relations from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and was an Arabic Language Flagship Fellow in Damascus, Syria, in 2006–2007. Previous Publication This paper was originally published in the September-December 2017 issue of Engineer: the Professional Bulletin for Army Engineers. It is being posted on the Foreign Military Studies Office website with permission from the publisher. FMSO has provided some editing, format, and graphics to this paper to conform to organizational standards.
    [Show full text]
  • A Threshold Crossed Israeli Authorities and the Crimes of Apartheid and Persecution WATCH
    HUMAN RIGHTS A Threshold Crossed Israeli Authorities and the Crimes of Apartheid and Persecution WATCH A Threshold Crossed Israeli Authorities and the Crimes of Apartheid and Persecution Copyright © 2021 Human Rights Watch All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America ISBN: 978-1-62313-900-1 Cover design by Rafael Jimenez Human Rights Watch defends the rights of people worldwide. We scrupulously investigate abuses, expose the facts widely, and pressure those with power to respect rights and secure justice. Human Rights Watch is an independent, international organization that works as part of a vibrant movement to uphold human dignity and advance the cause of human rights for all. Human Rights Watch is an international organization with staff in more than 40 countries, and offices in Amsterdam, Beirut, Berlin, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Goma, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Nairobi, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Sydney, Tokyo, Toronto, Tunis, Washington DC, and Zurich. For more information, please visit our website: http://www.hrw.org APRIL 2021 ISBN: 978-1-62313-900-1 A Threshold Crossed Israeli Authorities and the Crimes of Apartheid and Persecution Map .................................................................................................................................. i Summary ......................................................................................................................... 2 Definitions of Apartheid and Persecution .................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Reviving the Stalled Reconstruction of Gaza
    Policy Briefing August 2017 Still in ruins: Reviving the stalled reconstruction of Gaza Sultan Barakat and Firas Masri Still in ruins: Reviving the stalled reconstruction of Gaza Sultan Barakat and Firas Masri The Brookings Institution is a private non-profit organization. Its mission is to conduct high-quality, independent research and, based on that research, to provide innovative, practical recommendations for policymakers and the public. The conclusions and recommendations of any Brookings publication are solely those of its author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Institution, its management, or its other scholars. Brookings recognizes that the value it provides to any supporter is in its absolute commitment to quality, independence and impact. Activities supported by its donors reflect this commitment and the analysis and recommendations are not determined by any donation. Copyright © 2017 Brookings Institution BROOKINGS INSTITUTION 1775 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036 U.S.A. www.brookings.edu BROOKINGS DOHA CENTER Saha 43, Building 63, West Bay, Doha, Qatar www.brookings.edu/doha Still in ruins: Reviving the stalled reconstruction of Gaza Sultan Barakat and Firas Masri1 INTRODUCTION Israelis and Palestinians seems out of reach, the humanitarian problems posed by the Three years have passed since the conclusion substandard living conditions in Gaza require of the latest military assault on the Gaza Strip. the attention of international actors associated Most of the Palestinian enclave still lies in ruin. with the peace process. If the living conditions Many Gazans continue to lack permanent in Gaza do not improve in the near future, the housing, living in shelters and other forms of region will inevitably experience another round temporary accommodation.
    [Show full text]
  • Viewed on the Website of the Prime Minister's Office
    Held Back: Students Trapped in Gaza June 2008 Hundreds of young Palestinian men and women are trapped in the Gaza Strip and cannot leave to pursue academic studies abroad. The closure that Israel has imposed on Gaza is preventing these students from exercising their right to freedom of movement, to access education and to develop their potential, and it is devastating the Palestinian academic community. Last year, hundreds of students in Gaza lost their places at foreign universities, and if the closure continues, hundreds more will be unable to travel to their places of study for the upcoming academic year. Gisha – Legal Center for Freedom of Movement calls for all students in Gaza to be permitted to exercise their right to freedom of movement and to access education – including at universities abroad. Cover Photo: Gisha. Christian pilgrims in Gaza given rare opportunity to travel, December 2007. All rights reserved by Gisha – Legal Center for Freedom of Movement June 2008 Tel. +972(0)3-6244120 Fax. +972(0)3-6244130 Email: [email protected] www.gisha.org 2 1.5 Million People in Isolation Introduction Since June 2007, when the Hamas movement seized control of the internal governmental institutions of the Palestinian Authority in the Gaza Strip, Israel has kept Gaza's borders almost entirely closed. The closure is part of a wider policy of collective punishment which Israel has adopted towards the residents of the Strip. 1 The closure denies the 1.5 million residents of the Gaza Strip the option of leaving the Strip or reentering it. Medical treatment, higher education and further training, travel for work and business, family visits and reunification – all these are denied to Gaza residents.
    [Show full text]
  • Linking the Gaza Strip with the West Bank: Implications of a Palestinian Corridor Across Israel Justus Reid Weiner and Diane Morrison
    Lebanon Syria Haifa Mediterranian Sea Tel-Aviv-YafoTel-Aviv-Yafo JerusalemJerusalem WestWest BBankank (Judea(Judea & SSamaria)amaria) za a GazaG I s r a e l Egypt Jordan Eilat Linking the Gaza Strip with the West Bank: Implications of a Palestinian Corridor Across Israel Justus Reid Weiner and Diane Morrison The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs ®¯¢Ú© ‰È„Ó ¯Â·Èˆ ÈÈÈÚÏ ÈÓÏ˘Â¯È‰ ÊίӉ Institute for Contemporary Affairs Founded jointly with the Wechsler Family Foundation © 2007 Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs 13 Tel Hai Street, Jerusalem, Israel 92107 Tel. 972-2-561-9281 Fax. 972-2-561-9112 Email: [email protected] www.jcpa.org ISBN 965-218-058-0 Production Coordinator: Edna Weinstock-Gabay Graphic Design: Rami & Jacky / Efrat / Lenka Maps: Rami & Jacky Photos: AP Photo, Government Press Office Back cover photo: IDF Spokesman Acknowledgments The authors wish to thank their colleagues, Deborah Norris and Marie E. Yetsin, for their assistance. The authors appreciate the advice and assistance of Daniel Taub, Adv. Table of Contents Executive Summary 5 Introduction 9 I. The Doctrine of Statehood 11 A. The Traditional Criteria for Statehood as Enunciated by the Montevideo Convention of 1933 11 1. Criterion i: A Permanent Population 12 2. Criterion ii: A Defined Territory 12 3. Criterion iii: Government 13 4. Criterion iv: Capacity to Enter into Relations with Other States 14 5. Independence 16 B. Additional Criteria for Statehood 16 C. Additional Criteria for Statehood Suggested as a Result of Modern Developments in International Law 17 1. The Rule of Legality 18 3 2.
    [Show full text]
  • Deprived and Endangered
    January 2009 Number 1 Deprived and Endangered: Humanitarian Crisis in the Gaza Strip SUMMARY Gaza’s 1.5 million people are enduring a serious humanitarian crisis brought on by more than two weeks of major military operations that have magnified the impact of 19 months of a highly restrictive Israeli blockade, reinforced by Egypt. The Israeli government has repeatedly denied that a humanitarian crisis exists. Information from international humanitarian organizations, United Nations agencies and Gaza’s residents themselves starkly refute that claim. Hundreds of civilians have been killed in the fighting, a large percentage of them children. Many wounded and sick have been trapped in their homes, unable to get medical care. Corpses have been left among rubble and in destroyed homes because Israeli forces have at times denied access to medical crews. Increasing numbers are displaced or are trapped in their homes. They have nowhere to flee, caught in a warzone where no place is truly safe. Gaza’s civilians are facing dire shortages of food, water, cooking gas, fuel and medical care due to insecurity, the enforced closure of all of Gaza’s borders, and alleged serious violations of international humanitarian law. Electricity is sharply down, and in some places open sewage is spilling into the streets. Children, who make up 56 percent of Gaza’s residents, are especially vulnerable. Humanitarian law provides that Israel as an occupying power must ensure the safety and well-being of the civilian population. The blockade is a form of collective punishment in violation of international law. Prior to the current military operation, about 80 percent of the Gaza Strip’s population – 1.2 million people – relied on food aid,1 a significant proportion 1 The UN and international organizations distributed 80 percent of this food aid; non-governmental organizations delivered the remainder.
    [Show full text]
  • Gaza Strip 2020 As-Siafa Mapping Movement and Access Netiv Ha'asara Temporary
    Zikim Karmiya No Fishing Zone 1.5 nautical miles Yad Mordekhai January Gaza Strip 2020 As-Siafa Mapping Movement and Access Netiv Ha'asara Temporary Ar-Rasheed Wastewater Treatment Lagoons Sources: OCHA, Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics of Statistics Bureau Central OCHA, Palestinian Sources: Erez Crossing 1 Al-Qarya Beit Hanoun Al-Badawiya (Umm An-Naser) Erez What is known today as the Gaza Strip, originally a region in Mandatory Palestine, was created Width 5.7-12.5 km / 3.5 – 7.7 mi through the armistice agreements between Israel and Egypt in 1949. From that time until 1967, North Gaza Length ~40 km / 24.8 mi Al- Karama As-Sekka the Strip was under Egyptian control, cut off from Israel as well as the West Bank, which was Izbat Beit Hanoun al-Jaker Road Area 365 km2 / 141 m2 Beit Hanoun under Jordanian rule. In 1967, the connection was renewed when both the West Bank and the Gaza Madinat Beit Lahia Al-'Awda Strip were occupied by Israel. The 1993 Oslo Accords define Gaza and the West Bank as a single Sheikh Zayed Beit Hanoun Population 1,943,398 • 48% Under age 17 July 2019 Industrial Zone Ash-Shati Housing Project Jabalia Sderot territorial unit within which freedom of movement would be permitted. However, starting in the camp al-Wazeer Unemployment rate 47% 2019 Q2 Jabalia Camp Khalil early 90s, Israel began a gradual process of closing off the Strip; since 2007, it has enforced a full Ash-Sheikh closure, forbidding exit and entry except in rare cases. Israel continues to control many aspects of Percentage of population receiving aid 80% An-Naser Radwan Salah Ad-Deen 2 life in Gaza, most of its land crossings, its territorial waters and airspace.
    [Show full text]
  • Restriction of Movement
    PHOTO:RYANRODRICKBEILER.COM Restriction of movement Israel has controlled the movement of people and candy, and spices were blocked from entering Gaza. Some goods into and out of Gaza for decades, but since the limitations have been lifted, but severe restrictions on imposition of the blockade in 2006, restrictions have the import of many goods—including the raw materials been severely tightened. necessary for industrial production, construction The Erez Crossing, located on the northern edge of the materials, medical supplies, fuel, and many consumer Israeli-built wall around Gaza, is the only crossing through goods—remain in place. which civilians can travel between Gaza and Israel. At the start of the Second Intifada or Palestinian “uprising” in late 2000, around 26,000 people were allowed to leave Gaza each day via the Erez Crossing. During the first half of 2016, the number of Palestinians allowed out of Gaza has averaged only around 15,000 per month. Nearly all access to the outside world is blocked for the residents of Gaza. Students are denied exit to study abroad. Patients needing medical treatment not available in Gaza are delayed or blocked from reaching care. People ISRAEL with families in other parts of the occupied Palestinian FISHING ZONE territory are blocked from seeing their relatives. People wishing to leave to pursue work in other places are blocked from doing so. The only official crossing for goods into and out Partly operational of Gaza is through Kerem Shalom. Any imports and crossing point exports are regulated through a list of controlled entry EGYPT Closed crossing point items created by Israel.
    [Show full text]