9 oct 2013
Hamas is struggling to meet its payroll in the Gaza Strip, where income from taxes has been badly hit since neighboring Egypt started destroying a network of tunnels used to smuggle food, fuel and weapons into the Islamist-run enclave.
The crisis means that Gaza's thousands of civil servants may not receive their full salaries in time for an important Muslim holiday next week.
Egypt, which accuses Hamas of aiding Muslim militants in the lawless Sinai desert, has been waging a campaign to destroy the smuggling tunnels that delivered weapons and other goods to the Gaza Strip, which is partially blockaded by Israel.
Hamas, which denies the Egyptian allegations, taxes the traffic through the tunnels - a money stream that has now virtually run dry.
Last month, the Hamas government paid only 77 percent of its $25 million August payroll for Gaza's 50,000 civil servants.
It said on Tuesday it would make a special payment of 1,000 shekels ($280) to the employees on Thursday before the Eid al-Adha holiday. There is still no word on whether full September salaries will be paid this month.
"What is supposed to be a day of joy and happiness would turn into a nightmare, a disaster, because we cannot afford to feel happy," said 47-year-old public servant Mohammed Khalil.
During Eid al-Adha, Muslims traditionally slaughter sheep or cattle and share the meat with the poor. Many parents buy new clothes for their children.
Khalil, a father of six, told Reuters he received most of his 1,700 shekel salary for August, but it was not enough to enable him to pay his electricity or water bills.
Uneasy relationship
Hamas, an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, has governed Gaza since 2007 and has an uneasy relationship with Egypt's new army-backed leadership, which toppled the elected Islamist president, Mohamed Morsi, a Hamas ally, in July.
It is unclear exactly how much money Hamas used to take in from tunnel traffic. Economists in the Gaza Strip said the income covered 70 percent of the government's monthly budget. Hamas officials put the figure at 40 percent.
Some 1 million liters of gas used to reach Gaza daily through the tunnels from Egypt. Hamas collected 1.60 shekels per liter. Cement once came through at a rate of 3,000 tons a day. Hamas's cut was 20 shekels per tonne, according to tunnel operators and local economists.
Ala al-Rafati, the Hamas-appointed minister of the economy, said up to 90 percent of the tunnels had now been destroyed by the Egyptian army and those still open were not operating fully. He put the losses to the Gaza economy since June at $460 million.
He added that the Gaza government's annual budget was more than $700 million, with $260 million devoted to running costs.
Hamas has also been hit by a downturn in its relations with its main backer, Iran, which used to provide it with arms and funds estimated by diplomats to total some $250 million a year.
Relations became strained after Hamas turned against Tehran's ally, President Bashar Assad, in Syria's civil war, and Iran's financial largesse has shriveled, diplomats believe.
Hamas, which is shunned by the West over its refusal to renounce violence and recognize Israel's right to exist, weathered an economic crisis in 2007 when the group seized control of the Gaza Strip from forces loyal to Western-backed Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Israel tightened its blockade at the time, but the tunnel business flourished, enabling Hamas to fill its coffers.
Since 2010, Israel has eased internationally criticized economic restrictions on the territory and recently allowed the entry of cement and steel for private construction for the first time since 2007. Palestinians said it was not enough to meet the needs of the Gaza Strip's 1.8 million people.
No taxes
Cairo's closure of the tunnels over the last three months has caused prices to spike and production to drop at factories dependent on raw materials from Egypt.
Gaza economist Maher al-Tabaa' said that for Hamas, this translated into "no taxes on smuggled goods and may soon mean no taxes on locally manufactured products".
Abdel-Salam Seyam, secretary general of the Hamas government, acknowledged the squeeze on its financial resources, but voiced confidence that it would overcome the crisis.
"We have lived through worse. This problem isn't any more difficult than it was in the past and will hopefully be resolved soon," he told Reuters.
Some Middle East states are continuing to help Gaza through construction program, with aid either coming directly in the form of building materials or via funds to the United Nations. For example, Saudi Arabia is building 1,700 housing units in southern Gaza, while Qatar is paying for a major road upgrade.
Neither country is believed to give Hamas cash assistance, although private donors in the Gulf are still helping.
An additional problem for Hamas is how to get its hands on foreign donations. Bank transfers have long been difficult because only one local bank works with Hamas and all electronic transactions are carefully monitored abroad.
Therefore, much of the financial aid from countries like Iran, some diplomats and analysts said, used to arrive stuffed into suitcases via the tunnels. That lifeline has been squeezed by the Egyptian clamp-down.
"I don't know whether I can blame the Gaza government. Where could it bring in money from? The sky?" said Abu Mohammed, a civil servant.
The crisis means that Gaza's thousands of civil servants may not receive their full salaries in time for an important Muslim holiday next week.
Egypt, which accuses Hamas of aiding Muslim militants in the lawless Sinai desert, has been waging a campaign to destroy the smuggling tunnels that delivered weapons and other goods to the Gaza Strip, which is partially blockaded by Israel.
Hamas, which denies the Egyptian allegations, taxes the traffic through the tunnels - a money stream that has now virtually run dry.
Last month, the Hamas government paid only 77 percent of its $25 million August payroll for Gaza's 50,000 civil servants.
It said on Tuesday it would make a special payment of 1,000 shekels ($280) to the employees on Thursday before the Eid al-Adha holiday. There is still no word on whether full September salaries will be paid this month.
"What is supposed to be a day of joy and happiness would turn into a nightmare, a disaster, because we cannot afford to feel happy," said 47-year-old public servant Mohammed Khalil.
During Eid al-Adha, Muslims traditionally slaughter sheep or cattle and share the meat with the poor. Many parents buy new clothes for their children.
Khalil, a father of six, told Reuters he received most of his 1,700 shekel salary for August, but it was not enough to enable him to pay his electricity or water bills.
Uneasy relationship
Hamas, an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, has governed Gaza since 2007 and has an uneasy relationship with Egypt's new army-backed leadership, which toppled the elected Islamist president, Mohamed Morsi, a Hamas ally, in July.
It is unclear exactly how much money Hamas used to take in from tunnel traffic. Economists in the Gaza Strip said the income covered 70 percent of the government's monthly budget. Hamas officials put the figure at 40 percent.
Some 1 million liters of gas used to reach Gaza daily through the tunnels from Egypt. Hamas collected 1.60 shekels per liter. Cement once came through at a rate of 3,000 tons a day. Hamas's cut was 20 shekels per tonne, according to tunnel operators and local economists.
Ala al-Rafati, the Hamas-appointed minister of the economy, said up to 90 percent of the tunnels had now been destroyed by the Egyptian army and those still open were not operating fully. He put the losses to the Gaza economy since June at $460 million.
He added that the Gaza government's annual budget was more than $700 million, with $260 million devoted to running costs.
Hamas has also been hit by a downturn in its relations with its main backer, Iran, which used to provide it with arms and funds estimated by diplomats to total some $250 million a year.
Relations became strained after Hamas turned against Tehran's ally, President Bashar Assad, in Syria's civil war, and Iran's financial largesse has shriveled, diplomats believe.
Hamas, which is shunned by the West over its refusal to renounce violence and recognize Israel's right to exist, weathered an economic crisis in 2007 when the group seized control of the Gaza Strip from forces loyal to Western-backed Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Israel tightened its blockade at the time, but the tunnel business flourished, enabling Hamas to fill its coffers.
Since 2010, Israel has eased internationally criticized economic restrictions on the territory and recently allowed the entry of cement and steel for private construction for the first time since 2007. Palestinians said it was not enough to meet the needs of the Gaza Strip's 1.8 million people.
No taxes
Cairo's closure of the tunnels over the last three months has caused prices to spike and production to drop at factories dependent on raw materials from Egypt.
Gaza economist Maher al-Tabaa' said that for Hamas, this translated into "no taxes on smuggled goods and may soon mean no taxes on locally manufactured products".
Abdel-Salam Seyam, secretary general of the Hamas government, acknowledged the squeeze on its financial resources, but voiced confidence that it would overcome the crisis.
"We have lived through worse. This problem isn't any more difficult than it was in the past and will hopefully be resolved soon," he told Reuters.
Some Middle East states are continuing to help Gaza through construction program, with aid either coming directly in the form of building materials or via funds to the United Nations. For example, Saudi Arabia is building 1,700 housing units in southern Gaza, while Qatar is paying for a major road upgrade.
Neither country is believed to give Hamas cash assistance, although private donors in the Gulf are still helping.
An additional problem for Hamas is how to get its hands on foreign donations. Bank transfers have long been difficult because only one local bank works with Hamas and all electronic transactions are carefully monitored abroad.
Therefore, much of the financial aid from countries like Iran, some diplomats and analysts said, used to arrive stuffed into suitcases via the tunnels. That lifeline has been squeezed by the Egyptian clamp-down.
"I don't know whether I can blame the Gaza government. Where could it bring in money from? The sky?" said Abu Mohammed, a civil servant.
8 oct 2013
The Palestinian ministry of economy in Gaza said the sharp decline in the work of tunnels in the Rafah border crossing after most of them were destroyed by the Egyptian army caused gross domestic product (GDP) losses of more than 230 million dollars per month. This came during a news conference organized on Monday by the Palestinian institute for communication and development in Gaza.
Minister of economy Alaa Rafati stated that Egypt's restrictions at Rafah crossing and its war on Gaza tunnels led to a rise in the poverty and unemployment rates and created severe economic difficulties affecting all sectors in Gaza.
Rafati warned that the GDP rate in Gaza might decline further due to the continued closure of Rafah tunnels, reiterating the government's readiness to close all tunnels immediately if Egypt provided an alternative and opened its Rafah border terminal before goods and raw materials.
Minister of economy Alaa Rafati stated that Egypt's restrictions at Rafah crossing and its war on Gaza tunnels led to a rise in the poverty and unemployment rates and created severe economic difficulties affecting all sectors in Gaza.
Rafati warned that the GDP rate in Gaza might decline further due to the continued closure of Rafah tunnels, reiterating the government's readiness to close all tunnels immediately if Egypt provided an alternative and opened its Rafah border terminal before goods and raw materials.
7 oct 2013
Palestinian minister of health Mufid Al-Mekhalalati said that the balance of medicines and medical disposables in hospitals and pharmacies are in constant decline due to the closure of the Rafah border crossing. In a news conference on Sunday, Mekhalalati noted that 30 percent of the medicines are completely unavailable.
The minister highlighted that the blockade on Gaza is against the international law, which considers Gaza an occupied territory and demands Israel to provide its population with all life means.
The minister also said that the construction of seven primary medical care centers stopped completely, while the expansion works at five hospitals were suspended.
The minister highlighted that the blockade on Gaza is against the international law, which considers Gaza an occupied territory and demands Israel to provide its population with all life means.
The minister also said that the construction of seven primary medical care centers stopped completely, while the expansion works at five hospitals were suspended.
Palestinian Minister of Economy in Gaza, Alaa Al-Rafati, stated that the current rate of needed materials entering through Karem crossing is only 30% due to the Israeli starvation policy practiced against the besieged strip. During a conference held on Sunday, the minister said that the economic situation in the Gaza Strip was made extremely worse since July 30 as a result to tightening the Israeli siege imposed on the strip since 2007.
Al-Rafati pointed out that the Palestinian people managed to face the Israeli siege through inventing new ways including the tunnels that were the life line for the people of Gaza and helped in providing several important basic materials and building materials.
He also pointed out that the process of bringing basic materials through the tunnels still continues despite the recent Egyptian restrictions that resulted in the demolition of 250 tunnels between Egypt and Gaza.
Between 80% to 90% of the tunnels are inoperative due to the Egyptian recent campaign, he continued.
He said that the loss of the Palestinian Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Gaza is estimated at $ 230 million per month, pointing out that the government's operating budget is $ 260 million, while the operating expenses, including the employees' salaries, are estimated at NIS 90 million.
Israeli authorities allow approximately 300 commercial trucks to enter per day through the Israeli border crossing Karem Abu Salem, while 800 trucks per day were allowed to enter into the strip in 2006, he explained.
Al-Rafati stated that the Palestinian people are used to dealing with the crises, saying that the Israeli occupation destroyed the Palestinian economy.
The Palestinian government in Gaza has started developing an “economy of resistance” to face the Israeli unfair siege and to activate the Palestinian economy, calling for promoting Palestinian products.
Al-Rafati pointed out that the Palestinian people managed to face the Israeli siege through inventing new ways including the tunnels that were the life line for the people of Gaza and helped in providing several important basic materials and building materials.
He also pointed out that the process of bringing basic materials through the tunnels still continues despite the recent Egyptian restrictions that resulted in the demolition of 250 tunnels between Egypt and Gaza.
Between 80% to 90% of the tunnels are inoperative due to the Egyptian recent campaign, he continued.
He said that the loss of the Palestinian Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Gaza is estimated at $ 230 million per month, pointing out that the government's operating budget is $ 260 million, while the operating expenses, including the employees' salaries, are estimated at NIS 90 million.
Israeli authorities allow approximately 300 commercial trucks to enter per day through the Israeli border crossing Karem Abu Salem, while 800 trucks per day were allowed to enter into the strip in 2006, he explained.
Al-Rafati stated that the Palestinian people are used to dealing with the crises, saying that the Israeli occupation destroyed the Palestinian economy.
The Palestinian government in Gaza has started developing an “economy of resistance” to face the Israeli unfair siege and to activate the Palestinian economy, calling for promoting Palestinian products.
The government committee against siege has warned that the closure of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt had led to negative impacts on life in the besieged enclave. The committee said in a press release on Monday that the closure had blocked entry of humanitarian convoys to the Strip.
It said that no aid convoys were allowed into the Strip during September, adding that Miles of Smiles convoy was supposed to arrive in Gaza during the past month but the Egyptian authorities prevented its entry and disallowed entry of aid shipments it was carrying.
For his part, deputy chairman of the committee Ala’uddin Al-Batta said that statistics issued by the committee since June displayed a big reduction in number of solidarity convoys, which led to shortages in medicines, food aid, and relief materials.
He said that closure of the crossing also blocked businessmen and investors from supervising projects they were financing in Gaza, which, coupled with ban on entry of construction material, led to a halt in those projects.
Batta appealed to the world community, the Arab League, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to pressure Egypt into opening the crossing to ward off a humanitarian tragedy.
He also called on human rights groups to assume their roles and protect the Palestinian people from violations of their basic rights.
It said that no aid convoys were allowed into the Strip during September, adding that Miles of Smiles convoy was supposed to arrive in Gaza during the past month but the Egyptian authorities prevented its entry and disallowed entry of aid shipments it was carrying.
For his part, deputy chairman of the committee Ala’uddin Al-Batta said that statistics issued by the committee since June displayed a big reduction in number of solidarity convoys, which led to shortages in medicines, food aid, and relief materials.
He said that closure of the crossing also blocked businessmen and investors from supervising projects they were financing in Gaza, which, coupled with ban on entry of construction material, led to a halt in those projects.
Batta appealed to the world community, the Arab League, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to pressure Egypt into opening the crossing to ward off a humanitarian tragedy.
He also called on human rights groups to assume their roles and protect the Palestinian people from violations of their basic rights.
6 oct 2013
Dr. Basim Naim, an advisor on foreign political affairs to premier Ismail Haneyya, asked Egyptian authorities to organize direct meetings with Gaza officials. He said in a TV interview on Saturday evening that the meetings would discuss means of solving Gaza crises due to closure of tunnels and Rafah border terminal.
He renewed assertion that no Gazan had participated in the security events in Sinai Peninsula.
Naim belied Egyptian media claims that Gaza was involved in Egyptian internal affairs, adding that the government in Gaza was keen on Egyptian national security and was against meddling in the internal affairs of Egypt.
The advisor said that closure of the tunnels had tightened the blockade on Gaza since they were the only pathway for entry of basic commodities into the besieged enclave.
He renewed assertion that no Gazan had participated in the security events in Sinai Peninsula.
Naim belied Egyptian media claims that Gaza was involved in Egyptian internal affairs, adding that the government in Gaza was keen on Egyptian national security and was against meddling in the internal affairs of Egypt.
The advisor said that closure of the tunnels had tightened the blockade on Gaza since they were the only pathway for entry of basic commodities into the besieged enclave.
5 oct 2013
Palestinians fishing off Gaza’s shore have come under both Egyptian and Israeli fire
The shift of power in Egypt over the past few months has led not just to border closures for those wanting to cross into the country from Gaza, but also to a sharp reduction in the transport of basic goods, as well as fishing rights, further isolating the Strip’s residents. The Egyptian army has stated that since it started operations in the eastern Sinai Peninsula in late June, it has destroyed more than 440 tunnels — 80 to 90 percent of detected tunnels — between Egypt and Gaza, in what is an ongoing operation.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has estimated that only ten tunnels are now operating, down from at least 300 operating tunnels prior to the clamp-down (“The humanitarian impact of reduced access between Gaza and Egypt,” 23 September 2013 [PDF]).
“They’re strangling us” “They’re strangling us, even if they claim the opposite,” Jalal, 25, a tunnel worker, said. “This situation gives us no choice but to look to develop more approaches to keep tunnels working until a sustainable commercial terminal above the ground is opened.”
The tunnels are the main commercial trade routes in and out of the Gaza Strip, and the only way in or out that does not go through Israel, which heavily restricts crossings. The Agreed Principles for Rafah Crossing, signed by the Palestinian Authority and Israel in 2005, included plans for formal trade, but the deal was frozen when Hamas came to power in Gaza in 2006.
Egyptian officials and media claim the tunnels enable the smuggling of weapons and drugs, and even militants to Sinai, a claim the Hamas government has denied.
Jalal and his colleagues said they have not been paid for almost two months. Jalal, who was expecting his first son, said: “I want my son to live in better world, without limits, or borders, like the ones we’re suffering from now.”
On the coast, the story is similar.
“Everything has changed” The Israeli navy restricts Gaza fishermen from traveling more than six nautical miles from shore, severely limiting their catches. Egypt used to allow fishermen to enter its waters, but in the last few weeks, Palestinian fishermen have been arrested and injured by the Egyptian navy, and their fishing boats have been damaged.
“This is not the right way to deal with brothers,” said Nizar Ayyash, head of the Palestinian Fishermen’s Society. He called on Egypt to stop the campaign.
On 30 August, five Palestinian fishermen were arrested in Egypt. They were charged with breaching Egyptian international waters, and were sentenced to one year in prison and fined $60 each.
“We used to reach the shores of al-Arish [a major city in Sinai]; the guards watched us coming and leaving. They allowed us to go and said nothing, but everything now has changed,” said Mahmoud, 30, a fisherman from Gaza.
“What’s happening now is worse” After the arrest, Gaza fishermen were cautioned to stay away from the borders. But three days later, two fishermen were injured, and their boats were shot at by the Egyptian navy, this time in Gaza’s waters, according to Ayyash.
Abdullah Najjar, 55, said that his son Ibrahim was seriously injured and his boat was damaged after Egyptian soldiers shot directly at him and another fisherman. Ibrahim underwent surgery on his arm.
The Fishermen’s Society alleges other attacks on fishermen have also taken place over the last couple of weeks inside Gaza’s waters.
Approximately 50 percent of Gaza’s fish needs have, until recently, been transported through the tunnels and from fishermen trips in Egyptian waters. The UN agency OCHA stated that before July, nearly 118 tons of fish entered Gaza via the tunnels per month, making up for the fishermen’s shortfalls.
The clamp-down on tunnels could affect food security in Gaza, according to aid workers, and the World Food Programme (WFP) has estimated that, in the event of a complete tunnel closure, it will have to be ready to meet the needs of an additional 50,000 to 60,000 persons.
The current situation has parallels to late 2009, when Egypt constructed a wall at the border with Gaza. “We eventually overcame that situation,” said tunnel owner Khalil, 40, but “what’s happening now is worse.”
Shortages According to OCHA, the closures had helped create “significant shortages of goods,[PDF] including cheap fuel and construction materials.”
Khalil said Egypt’s operations have paralyzed his business. Formerly operational 24 hours a day, the tunnel areas are now quiet.
To avoid a humanitarian crisis, the Hamas-led authorities in Gaza have called on Egypt, other Arab countries and the US and its allies to assist in establishing a legal commercial zone and reopen the crossing for commercial purposes.
A recent boom in the construction sector in Gaza is now threatened by the tunnel closures. Less than 100 tons of construction material entered each day last week — compared to a daily average of more than 7,500 tons in June, according to figures from the Palestinian Federation of Industries cited by OCHA.
The World Bank recently said the measures were expected to cause a significant decline in construction activities in Gaza over the coming months (“Economic monitoring report to the Ad-Hoc Liaison Committee,” 25 September 2013 [PDF]).
Nabil Abu Muailek, head of the Palestinian Contractors Union, said that about 30,000 workers in the sector were now unemployed because of the halt of materials imports from Egypt, and the subsequent surge in prices.
While Israel announced last month that it would allow 50 trucks of construction materials for the private sector into Gaza through its Kerem Shalom crossing point, Abu Muailek said that this represented less than a quarter of what the market demands.
Obligations In a recent statement, Gisha, an Israeli legal center advocating freedom of movement, said that while Egypt is not an occupying power in the Gaza Strip, it did have humanitarian obligations to Gaza’s residents.
“It must take into consideration Gaza residents’ right to freedom of movement and make the utmost effort to maintain a reliable and sufficient travel route through its territory,” Gisha stated.
“In contrast, due to Israel’s substantial control over the Gaza Strip, it has a duty, under the law of occupation, to enable Gaza residents to lead normal lives, including the possibility of leaving Gaza and returning to it.”
The Palestinian NGO Network and a number of Palestinian human rights organizations urged the US and its allies to bring about an end to the blockade on Gaza. In a statement issued to IRIN, it said that Israel, as the occupying power, is responsible for the ongoing deterioration in the economy and quality of life in Gaza because of the tight restrictions.
The network also called on Egyptian authorities to facilitate the travel of residents to and from Gaza and to consider the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
The shift of power in Egypt over the past few months has led not just to border closures for those wanting to cross into the country from Gaza, but also to a sharp reduction in the transport of basic goods, as well as fishing rights, further isolating the Strip’s residents. The Egyptian army has stated that since it started operations in the eastern Sinai Peninsula in late June, it has destroyed more than 440 tunnels — 80 to 90 percent of detected tunnels — between Egypt and Gaza, in what is an ongoing operation.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has estimated that only ten tunnels are now operating, down from at least 300 operating tunnels prior to the clamp-down (“The humanitarian impact of reduced access between Gaza and Egypt,” 23 September 2013 [PDF]).
“They’re strangling us” “They’re strangling us, even if they claim the opposite,” Jalal, 25, a tunnel worker, said. “This situation gives us no choice but to look to develop more approaches to keep tunnels working until a sustainable commercial terminal above the ground is opened.”
The tunnels are the main commercial trade routes in and out of the Gaza Strip, and the only way in or out that does not go through Israel, which heavily restricts crossings. The Agreed Principles for Rafah Crossing, signed by the Palestinian Authority and Israel in 2005, included plans for formal trade, but the deal was frozen when Hamas came to power in Gaza in 2006.
Egyptian officials and media claim the tunnels enable the smuggling of weapons and drugs, and even militants to Sinai, a claim the Hamas government has denied.
Jalal and his colleagues said they have not been paid for almost two months. Jalal, who was expecting his first son, said: “I want my son to live in better world, without limits, or borders, like the ones we’re suffering from now.”
On the coast, the story is similar.
“Everything has changed” The Israeli navy restricts Gaza fishermen from traveling more than six nautical miles from shore, severely limiting their catches. Egypt used to allow fishermen to enter its waters, but in the last few weeks, Palestinian fishermen have been arrested and injured by the Egyptian navy, and their fishing boats have been damaged.
“This is not the right way to deal with brothers,” said Nizar Ayyash, head of the Palestinian Fishermen’s Society. He called on Egypt to stop the campaign.
On 30 August, five Palestinian fishermen were arrested in Egypt. They were charged with breaching Egyptian international waters, and were sentenced to one year in prison and fined $60 each.
“We used to reach the shores of al-Arish [a major city in Sinai]; the guards watched us coming and leaving. They allowed us to go and said nothing, but everything now has changed,” said Mahmoud, 30, a fisherman from Gaza.
“What’s happening now is worse” After the arrest, Gaza fishermen were cautioned to stay away from the borders. But three days later, two fishermen were injured, and their boats were shot at by the Egyptian navy, this time in Gaza’s waters, according to Ayyash.
Abdullah Najjar, 55, said that his son Ibrahim was seriously injured and his boat was damaged after Egyptian soldiers shot directly at him and another fisherman. Ibrahim underwent surgery on his arm.
The Fishermen’s Society alleges other attacks on fishermen have also taken place over the last couple of weeks inside Gaza’s waters.
Approximately 50 percent of Gaza’s fish needs have, until recently, been transported through the tunnels and from fishermen trips in Egyptian waters. The UN agency OCHA stated that before July, nearly 118 tons of fish entered Gaza via the tunnels per month, making up for the fishermen’s shortfalls.
The clamp-down on tunnels could affect food security in Gaza, according to aid workers, and the World Food Programme (WFP) has estimated that, in the event of a complete tunnel closure, it will have to be ready to meet the needs of an additional 50,000 to 60,000 persons.
The current situation has parallels to late 2009, when Egypt constructed a wall at the border with Gaza. “We eventually overcame that situation,” said tunnel owner Khalil, 40, but “what’s happening now is worse.”
Shortages According to OCHA, the closures had helped create “significant shortages of goods,[PDF] including cheap fuel and construction materials.”
Khalil said Egypt’s operations have paralyzed his business. Formerly operational 24 hours a day, the tunnel areas are now quiet.
To avoid a humanitarian crisis, the Hamas-led authorities in Gaza have called on Egypt, other Arab countries and the US and its allies to assist in establishing a legal commercial zone and reopen the crossing for commercial purposes.
A recent boom in the construction sector in Gaza is now threatened by the tunnel closures. Less than 100 tons of construction material entered each day last week — compared to a daily average of more than 7,500 tons in June, according to figures from the Palestinian Federation of Industries cited by OCHA.
The World Bank recently said the measures were expected to cause a significant decline in construction activities in Gaza over the coming months (“Economic monitoring report to the Ad-Hoc Liaison Committee,” 25 September 2013 [PDF]).
Nabil Abu Muailek, head of the Palestinian Contractors Union, said that about 30,000 workers in the sector were now unemployed because of the halt of materials imports from Egypt, and the subsequent surge in prices.
While Israel announced last month that it would allow 50 trucks of construction materials for the private sector into Gaza through its Kerem Shalom crossing point, Abu Muailek said that this represented less than a quarter of what the market demands.
Obligations In a recent statement, Gisha, an Israeli legal center advocating freedom of movement, said that while Egypt is not an occupying power in the Gaza Strip, it did have humanitarian obligations to Gaza’s residents.
“It must take into consideration Gaza residents’ right to freedom of movement and make the utmost effort to maintain a reliable and sufficient travel route through its territory,” Gisha stated.
“In contrast, due to Israel’s substantial control over the Gaza Strip, it has a duty, under the law of occupation, to enable Gaza residents to lead normal lives, including the possibility of leaving Gaza and returning to it.”
The Palestinian NGO Network and a number of Palestinian human rights organizations urged the US and its allies to bring about an end to the blockade on Gaza. In a statement issued to IRIN, it said that Israel, as the occupying power, is responsible for the ongoing deterioration in the economy and quality of life in Gaza because of the tight restrictions.
The network also called on Egyptian authorities to facilitate the travel of residents to and from Gaza and to consider the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
3 oct 2013
An Egyptian helicopter
The Egyptian army has established a precautionary plan for military intervention in the Gaza Strip if attacks on Egyptian troops in the Sinai Peninsula intensify, Egyptian security officials said Wednesday.
Officials told Ma'an that Egyptian reconnaissance planes had entered the Gaza Strip's airspace and examined a number of locations in Rafah and Khan Younis to be targeted if military attacks against Egyptian troops intensify in Sinai.
Egyptian aircraft could also target vehicles which travel across the border area delivering smuggled goods, sources added. More smuggling tunnels could also be destroyed, and sources highlighted that "all options are open."
According to Egyptian military sources, the ongoing attacks in Sinai are carried out by organizations based both in Sinai Peninsula and in the Gaza Strip.
Certain militant groups in the Gaza Strip, according to Egyptian officials, are "behind the violence" in Sinai, including Ansar al-Sunna, which has ties to Hamas, as well as Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, among others.
As a result, sources argue that in order to maintain control over the Sinai, the Egyptian army has no choice but to shut down all smuggling tunnels and strike targets in Gaza if further red lines are crossed.
"The Egyptian army does not believe the population of Gaza is involved in the violence in Sinai, but certain factions strongly support Sinai groups. The tunnels play a major role in the communication between both sides," a senior Egyptian official told Ma'an.
"In addition, Hamas, although its involvement is limited, is responsible for maintaining control of the smuggling tunnels as well as the factions operating in the coastal enclave," he added.
Hundreds of people have been killed and more than 2,000 arrested across Egypt in the crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood since Aug. 14, when police forcibly dispersed two protest camps in Cairo's Rabia al-Adawiya Square.
The protest camps had been set up in opposition to the Aug. 3 coup by the Egyptian military, which overthrew democratically elected Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi following mass protests against his leadership.
In the months since, the Egyptian military has stepped up a campaign against militant groups operating out of the Sinai Peninsula.
The Egyptian military has accused Hamas, the current rulers of the Gaza Strip, of being connected to the violence and of having ties to deposed President Morsi.
The Egyptian army has established a precautionary plan for military intervention in the Gaza Strip if attacks on Egyptian troops in the Sinai Peninsula intensify, Egyptian security officials said Wednesday.
Officials told Ma'an that Egyptian reconnaissance planes had entered the Gaza Strip's airspace and examined a number of locations in Rafah and Khan Younis to be targeted if military attacks against Egyptian troops intensify in Sinai.
Egyptian aircraft could also target vehicles which travel across the border area delivering smuggled goods, sources added. More smuggling tunnels could also be destroyed, and sources highlighted that "all options are open."
According to Egyptian military sources, the ongoing attacks in Sinai are carried out by organizations based both in Sinai Peninsula and in the Gaza Strip.
Certain militant groups in the Gaza Strip, according to Egyptian officials, are "behind the violence" in Sinai, including Ansar al-Sunna, which has ties to Hamas, as well as Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, among others.
As a result, sources argue that in order to maintain control over the Sinai, the Egyptian army has no choice but to shut down all smuggling tunnels and strike targets in Gaza if further red lines are crossed.
"The Egyptian army does not believe the population of Gaza is involved in the violence in Sinai, but certain factions strongly support Sinai groups. The tunnels play a major role in the communication between both sides," a senior Egyptian official told Ma'an.
"In addition, Hamas, although its involvement is limited, is responsible for maintaining control of the smuggling tunnels as well as the factions operating in the coastal enclave," he added.
Hundreds of people have been killed and more than 2,000 arrested across Egypt in the crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood since Aug. 14, when police forcibly dispersed two protest camps in Cairo's Rabia al-Adawiya Square.
The protest camps had been set up in opposition to the Aug. 3 coup by the Egyptian military, which overthrew democratically elected Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi following mass protests against his leadership.
In the months since, the Egyptian military has stepped up a campaign against militant groups operating out of the Sinai Peninsula.
The Egyptian military has accused Hamas, the current rulers of the Gaza Strip, of being connected to the violence and of having ties to deposed President Morsi.
Egyptian authorities on Wednesday forced over 100 Palestinian pilgrims to return to Gaza after having entered the country to travel to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj pilgrimage.
Egyptian security officials said that the 100 or so pilgrims had entered Egypt via the Rafah land crossing and were forced to return to the Gaza Strip for security reasons, without providing further details.
Egyptian director of the Rafah terminal, Sami Mitwali, told Ma'an that around 680 Palestinian Hajj pilgrims have entered Egypt via Rafah.
Around 2,300 pilgrims are expected to enter Egypt en route to Saudi Arabia over the next few days.
Egyptian security officials said that the 100 or so pilgrims had entered Egypt via the Rafah land crossing and were forced to return to the Gaza Strip for security reasons, without providing further details.
Egyptian director of the Rafah terminal, Sami Mitwali, told Ma'an that around 680 Palestinian Hajj pilgrims have entered Egypt via Rafah.
Around 2,300 pilgrims are expected to enter Egypt en route to Saudi Arabia over the next few days.
Dr. Ismail Radwan, the Palestinian Minister of Religious Affairs, expressed regret following the Egyptian decision to prevent eight pilgrims and 27 members of the Gaza Hajj administrative mission from traveling to Saudi Arabia. Nearly 645 pilgrims have managed on Wednesday morning to cross through the Egyptian gate to perform Hajj, while 4 pilgrims and 4 of Hajj administrative mission were returned from the Egyptian gate, Radwan explained.
He said that his ministry was surprised by seizing the passports of 100 employees of the administrative mission at the behest of the PA Ministry of Awqaf.
The minister has condemned the mistreatment in dealing with Hajj file, calling for sparing the pilgrims the consequences of political disagreement. The Awqaf ministry in Gaza confirmed that it made contacts to overcome these difficulties, stressing that it works to ease Hajj for Gaza pilgrims.
Despite the ongoing incitement and plots, we will continue serving our people, Radwan said.
He said that his ministry was surprised by seizing the passports of 100 employees of the administrative mission at the behest of the PA Ministry of Awqaf.
The minister has condemned the mistreatment in dealing with Hajj file, calling for sparing the pilgrims the consequences of political disagreement. The Awqaf ministry in Gaza confirmed that it made contacts to overcome these difficulties, stressing that it works to ease Hajj for Gaza pilgrims.
Despite the ongoing incitement and plots, we will continue serving our people, Radwan said.
2 oct 2013
Gaza's tunnel smugglers along the border with Egypt are mostly idle these days.
Some rest on cots in the dank underground pathways, stretching out for a smoke. Others pass the time cleaning the small carts on wheels that are normally pulled through the tunnels carrying cement or consumer goods from Egypt.
Since the summer, Egypt's military has tried to destroy or seal off most of the smuggling tunnels under the Gaza-Egypt border, a consequence of the heightened tensions between Cairo and the Hamas government in Gaza.
In July, Egypt's military brought down the country's Islamist president, Mohammed Morsi, in a popularly-backed coup and cracked down on his Muslim Brotherhood movement. The military accused Hamas, the Palestinian branch of the Brotherhood, of fomenting unrest in Egypt and moved to shut down the border tunnels, citing security reasons.
The tunnels have served for years as a lifeline for Gaza, home to some 1.7 million Palestinians.
They became particularly important after Hamas overran the territory in 2007, prompting Israel and Morsi's Western-backed predecessor, Hosni Mubarak, to impose a stifling border blockade.
Israel has eased the blockade in recent years, but still restricts the imports of some goods, including cement and steel rods. Until recently, the tunnels served as a conduit for such construction materials and for subsidized Egyptian fuel.
The tunnels once employed thousands of young men in Gaza. By early September, with most tunnels closed, only few tunnel workers reported to their jobs for maintenance work. Some mask their faces with shirts to avoid identification while working, for fear of repercussions in case they were to travel to Egypt in the future.
Some began digging new tunnels to replace the ones destroyed by the Egyptian security forces.
"We have no other alternative but to work in these tunnels," said one of the workers, Hussam Rashwan. "They are the only crossing to bring needed goods to Gaza."
From the Gaza side, some of the workers watched as bulldozers leveled an olive grove on the Egyptian side of the border, marked by a low wall. The Gazans said they'd learned from their Egyptian smuggling partners that the army had just destroyed a house built on top of a tunnel, and the bulldozers were now presumably clearing away any other cover where one could be hidden.
"Egypt treats us like an enemy," said Asaad Najar, 46, a father of nine. He said he used to make between $30 and $40 a day, a good income for Gaza, but now earns nothing.
Some rest on cots in the dank underground pathways, stretching out for a smoke. Others pass the time cleaning the small carts on wheels that are normally pulled through the tunnels carrying cement or consumer goods from Egypt.
Since the summer, Egypt's military has tried to destroy or seal off most of the smuggling tunnels under the Gaza-Egypt border, a consequence of the heightened tensions between Cairo and the Hamas government in Gaza.
In July, Egypt's military brought down the country's Islamist president, Mohammed Morsi, in a popularly-backed coup and cracked down on his Muslim Brotherhood movement. The military accused Hamas, the Palestinian branch of the Brotherhood, of fomenting unrest in Egypt and moved to shut down the border tunnels, citing security reasons.
The tunnels have served for years as a lifeline for Gaza, home to some 1.7 million Palestinians.
They became particularly important after Hamas overran the territory in 2007, prompting Israel and Morsi's Western-backed predecessor, Hosni Mubarak, to impose a stifling border blockade.
Israel has eased the blockade in recent years, but still restricts the imports of some goods, including cement and steel rods. Until recently, the tunnels served as a conduit for such construction materials and for subsidized Egyptian fuel.
The tunnels once employed thousands of young men in Gaza. By early September, with most tunnels closed, only few tunnel workers reported to their jobs for maintenance work. Some mask their faces with shirts to avoid identification while working, for fear of repercussions in case they were to travel to Egypt in the future.
Some began digging new tunnels to replace the ones destroyed by the Egyptian security forces.
"We have no other alternative but to work in these tunnels," said one of the workers, Hussam Rashwan. "They are the only crossing to bring needed goods to Gaza."
From the Gaza side, some of the workers watched as bulldozers leveled an olive grove on the Egyptian side of the border, marked by a low wall. The Gazans said they'd learned from their Egyptian smuggling partners that the army had just destroyed a house built on top of a tunnel, and the bulldozers were now presumably clearing away any other cover where one could be hidden.
"Egypt treats us like an enemy," said Asaad Najar, 46, a father of nine. He said he used to make between $30 and $40 a day, a good income for Gaza, but now earns nothing.
The Egyptian Authorities have seized the passports of the Gaza Hajj administrative mission, director General of the Crossings Department Maher Abu Sabha said. Abu Sabha confirmed in a statement on Wednesday that seizing the passports came at the behest of the PA Minister of Awqaf in Ramallah Mahmoud Habash.
The administrative mission includes 184 pilgrims, only 30 employees of them have managed to travel.
Nearly 645 pilgrims left on Wednesday morning for Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj, Abu Sabha said, noting that 4 pilgrims were returned from the Egyptian gate.
The administrative mission includes 184 pilgrims, only 30 employees of them have managed to travel.
Nearly 645 pilgrims left on Wednesday morning for Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj, Abu Sabha said, noting that 4 pilgrims were returned from the Egyptian gate.
1 oct 2013
Senior Hamas official Salah Al-Bardawil said that the Palestinian reconciliation meetings are currently frozen as a result of Egypt's preoccupation with its internal events, and the Palestinian authority's lack of will to end the division and its submissiveness to the Zio-American positions. "The Palestinian reconciliation is frozen not only because of the Egyptian preoccupation, but also because the Palestinian authority has no national will to execute what has been agreed upon in the reconciliation talks," Bardawil stated on Monday.
Bardawil also ruled out that the Palestinian reconciliation can be achieved at the expense of the national rights and constants.
"It is not possible to achieve the reconciliation at the expense of the rights and constants; in other words, the Palestinian constants are the common denominator in the reconciliation," the Hamas official underlined.
"The Palestinian authority's engagement in prospectless negotiations while there are ongoing settlement expansion, dangers threatening the Aqsa Mosque, no right to return or to Jerusalem and persistent blockade on the Gaza Strip is not only detrimental to the Palestinian cause and poses a threat to it, but also isolates the negotiating team from the Palestinian people and Fatah faction itself and unites the Palestinian people in upholding the rights, the constants and the resistance option," he added.
Bardawil also ruled out that the Palestinian reconciliation can be achieved at the expense of the national rights and constants.
"It is not possible to achieve the reconciliation at the expense of the rights and constants; in other words, the Palestinian constants are the common denominator in the reconciliation," the Hamas official underlined.
"The Palestinian authority's engagement in prospectless negotiations while there are ongoing settlement expansion, dangers threatening the Aqsa Mosque, no right to return or to Jerusalem and persistent blockade on the Gaza Strip is not only detrimental to the Palestinian cause and poses a threat to it, but also isolates the negotiating team from the Palestinian people and Fatah faction itself and unites the Palestinian people in upholding the rights, the constants and the resistance option," he added.
Informed Egyptian and Palestinian security sources warned that the Egyptian security and military apparatuses kidnapped and blackmailed some young men who hold dual Palestinian-Egyptian citizenship in the Sinai and Gaza lately in order to prove their claims about the involvement of the Hamas Movement in Egypt's internal events. According to Quds Press, the sources affirmed on condition of anonymity that these arrests were part of a plot aimed at deepening the rift between the Egyptian and Palestinian peoples and creating grounds for tightening the blockade on Gaza.
The sources explained that the Egyptian security and military forces kidnapped two young men from Ashaer family identified as Ahmed, a 15-year-old resident of the Egyptian Rafah area, and Hisham, a 16-year-old resident of the Palestinian Rafah area, in addition to two others from inside the Gaza Strip.
They said that those young detainees were forced to put on Al-Qassam Brigades' uniform, carry RPGs and grenades, and make confessions about being sent by Al-Qassam to carry out subversive operations in the Sinai.
The sources added that the young men were promised to get released after videotaping their confessions, but later they were taken prisoners and transferred to Abu Zaabal jail.
The sources asserted that the families of those detainees decided to talk to the media about the kidnapping of their sons and the extortion they were exposed to by Egyptian security and military personnel.
The sources explained that the Egyptian security and military forces kidnapped two young men from Ashaer family identified as Ahmed, a 15-year-old resident of the Egyptian Rafah area, and Hisham, a 16-year-old resident of the Palestinian Rafah area, in addition to two others from inside the Gaza Strip.
They said that those young detainees were forced to put on Al-Qassam Brigades' uniform, carry RPGs and grenades, and make confessions about being sent by Al-Qassam to carry out subversive operations in the Sinai.
The sources added that the young men were promised to get released after videotaping their confessions, but later they were taken prisoners and transferred to Abu Zaabal jail.
The sources asserted that the families of those detainees decided to talk to the media about the kidnapping of their sons and the extortion they were exposed to by Egyptian security and military personnel.
