17 sept 2013
Wastewater treatment plant in Rafah
After the running out of fuel supplies, the Minister of local government in Gaza Mohammed Al -Farra announced on Monday evening that the wastewater treatment plant stopped functioning and the municipalities are going to pump the sewage water into the sea .
Al-Farra said on a statement that all Gaza municipalities will stop functioning next Thursday because of the lack of fuel.
Egypt's interim government ordered the military to cave in all the lifeline tunnels between Egypt and the besieged Gaza which cause severe shortage of fuel.
Pumping the untreated wastewater into the sea will pollute not only the marine environment of Gaza but also the Mediterranean Sea , Al-Farra warned of an environmental disaster.
He called on the International and Human Rights organizations to increase pressure on Israel in order to lift the siege on Gaza and allow the access of necessary basic needs of besieged people in Gaza.
Since the ouster of Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi in a military coup in July, the army has increased the destruction of the tunnels on the Egyptian side of the border with Gaza on the pretext of "fighting against terrorism". The tunnels have served as a lifeline to the besieged people of Gaza and their destruction has caused shortages of fuel and other essential goods. Gaza is now completely dependent on the limited amount of fuel allowed to enter by Israel.
After the running out of fuel supplies, the Minister of local government in Gaza Mohammed Al -Farra announced on Monday evening that the wastewater treatment plant stopped functioning and the municipalities are going to pump the sewage water into the sea .
Al-Farra said on a statement that all Gaza municipalities will stop functioning next Thursday because of the lack of fuel.
Egypt's interim government ordered the military to cave in all the lifeline tunnels between Egypt and the besieged Gaza which cause severe shortage of fuel.
Pumping the untreated wastewater into the sea will pollute not only the marine environment of Gaza but also the Mediterranean Sea , Al-Farra warned of an environmental disaster.
He called on the International and Human Rights organizations to increase pressure on Israel in order to lift the siege on Gaza and allow the access of necessary basic needs of besieged people in Gaza.
Since the ouster of Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi in a military coup in July, the army has increased the destruction of the tunnels on the Egyptian side of the border with Gaza on the pretext of "fighting against terrorism". The tunnels have served as a lifeline to the besieged people of Gaza and their destruction has caused shortages of fuel and other essential goods. Gaza is now completely dependent on the limited amount of fuel allowed to enter by Israel.
An official of Energy Authority in Gaza said we agree to buy diesel fuel free from value added tax and Israel’s taxes levied on fuel imported from (Israel). The source said in a statement to ALRAY that “The authority is ready to buy diesel fuel for the power station in Gaza without taxes, according to what has been agreed upon between the authority and Palestinian Authority in Ramallah,”
“The Energy Authority does not mind to pay the price for fuel supplies in advance, in order to run the only power plant and avoid a humanitarian disaster,” he added.
The director of the government media center in Ramallah Ihab Bsaisu affirmed earlier the government's readiness to supply industrial fuel immediately to the Gaza’s power plant without the special tax.
Bseiso said the supply will be based on the previously-signed agreement with the Gaza Energy Authority, which included removing tax imposed on industrial fuel, which is estimated at NIS 3 per liter.
The Gaza Strip population has been long suffering from an electricity deficit due to a lack of fuel needed for the Gaza power plant, in addition to Israel’s refusal to upgrade the electricity lines to the coastal enclave.
“The Energy Authority does not mind to pay the price for fuel supplies in advance, in order to run the only power plant and avoid a humanitarian disaster,” he added.
The director of the government media center in Ramallah Ihab Bsaisu affirmed earlier the government's readiness to supply industrial fuel immediately to the Gaza’s power plant without the special tax.
Bseiso said the supply will be based on the previously-signed agreement with the Gaza Energy Authority, which included removing tax imposed on industrial fuel, which is estimated at NIS 3 per liter.
The Gaza Strip population has been long suffering from an electricity deficit due to a lack of fuel needed for the Gaza power plant, in addition to Israel’s refusal to upgrade the electricity lines to the coastal enclave.
Hamas Refugee Affairs Department head Dr Issam Adwan has met with Gaza Minister of Health and head of the government committee for communication with UNRWA Dr. Mufid el-Mekhalleleti, and UNRWA representative Mahamed al-Aklouk to discuss recent developments. The meeting came in line with the Refugee Department's efforts to enhance communication and cooperation between the Palestinian refugees in Gaza Strip and the Palestinian government and UNRWA amid the worsening crises experienced by the Gaza Strip.
Dr. Issam Adwan, the chairman of the department, demanded more governmental facilitations for UNRWA in order to build schools to accommodate the increasing refugees’ population.
For his part, Chairman of the Coordinating Bureau of the popular committees for refugees Moen Abu Okal stressed the need to find a permanent mechanism for communication and coordination between the government and the Popular Committees in cooperation with UNRWA.
In its turn, the government's committee represented by Dr. el-Mekhalleleti and Dr. al-Aklouk promised to work to meet these demands.
Dr. Issam Adwan, the chairman of the department, demanded more governmental facilitations for UNRWA in order to build schools to accommodate the increasing refugees’ population.
For his part, Chairman of the Coordinating Bureau of the popular committees for refugees Moen Abu Okal stressed the need to find a permanent mechanism for communication and coordination between the government and the Popular Committees in cooperation with UNRWA.
In its turn, the government's committee represented by Dr. el-Mekhalleleti and Dr. al-Aklouk promised to work to meet these demands.
16 sept 2013
Egyptian authorities have been closing Rafah border crossing for the sixth day in a row, Palestinian Ministry of Interior – Gaza reported. Director of Crossing Authorities, Maher Abu Sabha, said in a statement that in case the crossing opens the ministry will inform Palestinian residents through different media sources and the ministry's website.
Abu Sabha indicated that the Palestinian side presented a proposal to the Egyptian counterpart to solve the problem of dozens of passengers stranded at the Rafah crossing.
Rafah crossing was closed on Aug. 15th after nationwide violence and then partially reopened two days later only to be closed again following an attack in Sinai which killed 25 Egyptian soldiers.
The Rafah terminal was closed earlier last week after a car bomb outside Egyptian intelligence headquarters in Sinai. Rafah crossing is the only outlet for Palestinians in Gaza. Israel imposes a tighten blockade on Gaza by closing its borders with Gaza .
There have been frequent closures of the terminal in recent weeks due to political unrest in Egypt and violence in the Sinai peninsula.
Abu Sabha indicated that the Palestinian side presented a proposal to the Egyptian counterpart to solve the problem of dozens of passengers stranded at the Rafah crossing.
Rafah crossing was closed on Aug. 15th after nationwide violence and then partially reopened two days later only to be closed again following an attack in Sinai which killed 25 Egyptian soldiers.
The Rafah terminal was closed earlier last week after a car bomb outside Egyptian intelligence headquarters in Sinai. Rafah crossing is the only outlet for Palestinians in Gaza. Israel imposes a tighten blockade on Gaza by closing its borders with Gaza .
There have been frequent closures of the terminal in recent weeks due to political unrest in Egypt and violence in the Sinai peninsula.
Intelligence sources have revealed that the US Corps of Engineers has given a $10 million contract to Raytheon Technologies Company to detect the tunnels underneath the Egypt-Palestine border. The tunnels have been used to import essential goods to the besieged Gaza Strip and are now being destroyed by Egypt's coup government, Memo reported.
Cooperation between Egypt and the US Corps of Engineers started in 2007 but the tunnel-detection programme was stopped when President Mohamed Morsi took office. "When Egypt's military regime, which opposes the Hamas-led government in Gaza, ousted Morsi the deal with the Americans was revived," said the sources.
In 2008, they added, the US supplied the Egyptians with equipment worth $23 million to detect the tunnels, including sensors and remote control vehicles, drilling machines and infrared cameras.
Cooperation between Egypt and the US Corps of Engineers started in 2007 but the tunnel-detection programme was stopped when President Mohamed Morsi took office. "When Egypt's military regime, which opposes the Hamas-led government in Gaza, ousted Morsi the deal with the Americans was revived," said the sources.
In 2008, they added, the US supplied the Egyptians with equipment worth $23 million to detect the tunnels, including sensors and remote control vehicles, drilling machines and infrared cameras.
14 sept 2013
A report released Thursday [September 12, 2013] by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the economic situation in the West Bank and Gaza says that worrying trends have continued despite the optimism of renewed peace negotiations.
Those recent “worrisome trends” include “slowing growth, high unemployment, and large fiscal deficits.”
The report states that if the status quo is maintained, “economic prospects are dim”, and it questions the viability of the West Bank and Gaza’s public finances “if the current model of financing persistently large deficits with unpredictable aid flows is maintained.”
The IMF report recommends that the authorities reduce the fiscal deficit “significantly” over time, and that government spending be made more “growth-friendly.”
Furthermore, the report contends that “the economy would benefit from increased donor aid during a transitional period, and a broad-based and sustained easing of restrictions, not linked to specific projects, by Israel.”
According to the IMF, real GDP growth dropped from 11 percent in 2010-11 to 5.9 percent in 2012, and economic activity was undermined by “broadly unchanged Israeli restrictions in 2012 and political uncertainty.” Alarmingly, real GDP growth sank to 2.7 percent in the first quarter of 2013.
High unemployment is also a major concern. In the second quarter of 2013, the unemployment rates in the West Bank and Gaza were 17 percent and 28 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, youth employment in the West Bank and Gaza “has reached a staggering 33 percent.”
The IMF predicts a “challenging” near-term outlook wherein weak growth will cause unemployment to rise further.
Those recent “worrisome trends” include “slowing growth, high unemployment, and large fiscal deficits.”
The report states that if the status quo is maintained, “economic prospects are dim”, and it questions the viability of the West Bank and Gaza’s public finances “if the current model of financing persistently large deficits with unpredictable aid flows is maintained.”
The IMF report recommends that the authorities reduce the fiscal deficit “significantly” over time, and that government spending be made more “growth-friendly.”
Furthermore, the report contends that “the economy would benefit from increased donor aid during a transitional period, and a broad-based and sustained easing of restrictions, not linked to specific projects, by Israel.”
According to the IMF, real GDP growth dropped from 11 percent in 2010-11 to 5.9 percent in 2012, and economic activity was undermined by “broadly unchanged Israeli restrictions in 2012 and political uncertainty.” Alarmingly, real GDP growth sank to 2.7 percent in the first quarter of 2013.
High unemployment is also a major concern. In the second quarter of 2013, the unemployment rates in the West Bank and Gaza were 17 percent and 28 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, youth employment in the West Bank and Gaza “has reached a staggering 33 percent.”
The IMF predicts a “challenging” near-term outlook wherein weak growth will cause unemployment to rise further.
13 sept 2013
Caretaker Prime Minister Rami Hamadallah said Thursday that the Palestinian Authority was committed to developing the private sector to prioritize energy production.
This is in cooperation with national, non-governmental, and private sector organizations, he said during a meeting with Philip de Fontain, vice president of the European investment Bank.
Hamdallah and de Fontain discussed developments concerning the establishing of four energy transfer stations in the West Bank which will cost 45 million euros.
Hamdallah asked the European Investment Bank to fund the stations and promote investment in the West Bank and Gaza.
This is in cooperation with national, non-governmental, and private sector organizations, he said during a meeting with Philip de Fontain, vice president of the European investment Bank.
Hamdallah and de Fontain discussed developments concerning the establishing of four energy transfer stations in the West Bank which will cost 45 million euros.
Hamdallah asked the European Investment Bank to fund the stations and promote investment in the West Bank and Gaza.
Palestinian drivers wait in line to refuel their cars at a gas station in Gaza City on Sept. 8, 2013
The International Monetary Fund urged Israel Thursday to ease financial restrictions on Palestinians, warning that the Palestinian economy would otherwise not be viable.
In a report published ahead of a September 23 meeting in New York of donors to the Palestinians, the IMF said the Palestinian Authority faced a budget deficit of $300 million by the end of 2013.
"The PA's finances are not viable over the medium term if the current model of financing large deficits with unpredictable aid flows is maintained," the report said.
It predicted that Palestinian GDP growth would slow from 11 percent in 2011 and 5.9 percent in 2012 to 4.5 percent by the end of this year.
The IMF said the West Bank and Gaza Strip's economic prospects were "dim under (the) status quo," and that resuscitating finances required the removal of "obstacles to economic growth."
These included, notably, "a broad-based and sustained easing of Israeli restrictions, not linked to specific projects and underpinned by clear progress in the peace process."
The IMF said in July that Israel's tight restrictions hinder the growth of the Palestinian private sector, holding back the economy.
International aid agency Oxfam said, ahead of the 1993 Oslo peace accords anniversary on Friday, that "life for millions of Palestinians is worse now than it was 20 years ago".
"While parties are negotiating peace, actions on the ground are making the lives of Palestinian civilians in particular ever more difficult, and jeopardising the chance of reaching a solution," Nishant Pandey, Oxfam's Palestinian territories and Israel director, said in a statement.
"A peace process naturally calls for give and take from all parties, but it is Palestinian civilians who have overwhelmingly paid the cost," he said.
International experts have been working on a plan to boost the stagnant Palestinian economy. They hope that, hand in hand with movement in the peace process, the scheme could produce tangible economic benefits on the ground to alleviate dire unemployment and poverty.
US Secretary of State John Kerry unveiled the broad contours of a scheme to attract some $4 billion in private-sector investment over the next three years at a World Economic Forum in Jordan in late May.
But similarly ambitious US-led plans by past administrations have faltered, and a blanket of secrecy has been thrown up as Quartet special envoy Tony Blair and his team hammer out the details with the aid of international experts.
The International Monetary Fund urged Israel Thursday to ease financial restrictions on Palestinians, warning that the Palestinian economy would otherwise not be viable.
In a report published ahead of a September 23 meeting in New York of donors to the Palestinians, the IMF said the Palestinian Authority faced a budget deficit of $300 million by the end of 2013.
"The PA's finances are not viable over the medium term if the current model of financing large deficits with unpredictable aid flows is maintained," the report said.
It predicted that Palestinian GDP growth would slow from 11 percent in 2011 and 5.9 percent in 2012 to 4.5 percent by the end of this year.
The IMF said the West Bank and Gaza Strip's economic prospects were "dim under (the) status quo," and that resuscitating finances required the removal of "obstacles to economic growth."
These included, notably, "a broad-based and sustained easing of Israeli restrictions, not linked to specific projects and underpinned by clear progress in the peace process."
The IMF said in July that Israel's tight restrictions hinder the growth of the Palestinian private sector, holding back the economy.
International aid agency Oxfam said, ahead of the 1993 Oslo peace accords anniversary on Friday, that "life for millions of Palestinians is worse now than it was 20 years ago".
"While parties are negotiating peace, actions on the ground are making the lives of Palestinian civilians in particular ever more difficult, and jeopardising the chance of reaching a solution," Nishant Pandey, Oxfam's Palestinian territories and Israel director, said in a statement.
"A peace process naturally calls for give and take from all parties, but it is Palestinian civilians who have overwhelmingly paid the cost," he said.
International experts have been working on a plan to boost the stagnant Palestinian economy. They hope that, hand in hand with movement in the peace process, the scheme could produce tangible economic benefits on the ground to alleviate dire unemployment and poverty.
US Secretary of State John Kerry unveiled the broad contours of a scheme to attract some $4 billion in private-sector investment over the next three years at a World Economic Forum in Jordan in late May.
But similarly ambitious US-led plans by past administrations have faltered, and a blanket of secrecy has been thrown up as Quartet special envoy Tony Blair and his team hammer out the details with the aid of international experts.
12 sept 2013
Ihab Ghussein, the government spokesman and the Head of the Government Media Office stated on Wednesday that the quantities of fuel in Gaza is scarce and serve certain sectors such as health, electricity, and municipalities.
Ghussein refuted in a statement the rumors rounded up storing huge quantities of fuel in Gaza by the government, " the government does not have fuel stores but a scarce quantities."
The statement reported that the number of official vehicles do not exceed 2.25% of the vehicles in Gaza which includes cars , vans and bulldozers. It should be noted that the number of all vehicles in the Gaza Strip, amounting to 52 602 vehicles run on gasoline, while 24550 are working on diesel, with 601 vehicles under the classification of the other. While the number of official vehicles in the Gaza Strip run on gasoline is 748, while 997 vehicles run on diesel fuel.
It is witnessed recently that a number of official vehicles lift ordinary people to their works.
A sever fuel crisis hit Gaza strip after the Egyptian authority had decided to establish a buffer zone on the Egyptian side of the border with the Gaza strip.
Ghussein refuted in a statement the rumors rounded up storing huge quantities of fuel in Gaza by the government, " the government does not have fuel stores but a scarce quantities."
The statement reported that the number of official vehicles do not exceed 2.25% of the vehicles in Gaza which includes cars , vans and bulldozers. It should be noted that the number of all vehicles in the Gaza Strip, amounting to 52 602 vehicles run on gasoline, while 24550 are working on diesel, with 601 vehicles under the classification of the other. While the number of official vehicles in the Gaza Strip run on gasoline is 748, while 997 vehicles run on diesel fuel.
It is witnessed recently that a number of official vehicles lift ordinary people to their works.
A sever fuel crisis hit Gaza strip after the Egyptian authority had decided to establish a buffer zone on the Egyptian side of the border with the Gaza strip.
10 sept 2013
Long queues of cars waiting for hours outside gas stations; frequent power cuts; suspended construction projects; shortages of vital goods and materials; and a drastic reduction in the number of incoming and outgoing travellers. This sums up the scene in the Gaza Strip since the Egyptian military overthrew elected President Mohamed Morsi on July 3 and launched a major operation against the tunnels that link the coastal enclave with Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.
"We can't endure this," Abu Khalil al-Hajjar, a 52-year-old Gaza City taxi driver, told Anadolu Agency.
When Egyptian diesel fuel was available in the market, he used to fill his tank for 130 Israeli shekels (roughly $63) a day. Now he must pay double this price.
As Israeli fuel shipments are limited, al-Hajjar must wait in line for at least an hour or two to get gas.
"I spend time waiting here at the expense of my working hours," he said, wiping the sweat from his brow.
A father of six, al-Hajjar blames all parties involved in what he describes as "attempts to restore the siege on Gaza."
The Egyptian army has launched a major operation against the network of secret border tunnels, which until recently represented Gaza's prime source of fuel and building materials.
The army's ongoing demolition campaign is the largest of its kind since the underground passages were dug in 2007 to circumvent Israel's embargo on the Hamas-run territory.
An official from Gaza's petroleum committee said that some one million liters of diesel used to enter the coastal enclave every day, bound for the strip's single power plant and gas stations.
"Now we only receive an average of 400,000 liters a day for both sectors," the official told AA.
If no solution is found, he expects the current shortage to worsen as Egypt steps up its operations along the border.
Building freeze
The crisis has impacted construction projects throughout the strip, most of which have ground to a halt except for small building enterprises.
"I used to get 1,000 tons of cement a day, now I barely get 30 tons," Abdulasalam al-Masri, a merchant who imports construction materials through the tunnels, told AA.
He complained that his revenues had fallen by about 90 percent in recent weeks.
Al-Masri's store in Deir al-Balah City is empty of goods, except for a few containers of paint and some rolls of wire.
He said prices for increasingly scarce building materials were on the rise.
"The price of cement increased from $100 to $200 a ton; steel from $800 to $1,000; and gravel from $800 to $1,000," al-Masri said.
A recent report by the UN Humanitarian Affairs Office said that a maximum of ten tunnels were still operational, down from approximately 50 in mid-August.
The report stated that only 20 to 30 truckloads of goods enter Gaza through the tunnels each day, compared to as many as 200 a day before the Egyptian army's demolition campaign.
Between 2007 and 2010, the tunnels had represented the source of almost all consumer products entering the Gaza Strip, which Israel restricted in a bid to punish and isolate the ruling Hamas movement.
In June 2010, Israel eased restrictions through overland crossing points, allowing food and luxury products into Gaza but maintaining the ban on cement, gravel and steel.
As a result, the Egypt-Gaza tunnels worked at full capacity to bring in materials banned by Israel, sparking a construction boom in the strip.
Restricted movement
Outside the Rafah border terminal, the main crossing point for Gaza's roughly 1.7 million residents, tears and desperation fill the air.
Many people have been reporting to the crossing for a week, some for ten days, without getting through.
"The situation is very bad here," said Maher Abu Sabha, director of crossing points in the Hamas government.
He said that some 6,000 Palestinians were registered to travel, but Egypt had only allowed 300 people to leave Gaza daily since the crossing was reopened last month with new regulations.
According to Abu Sabha, the Egyptians have restricted those eligible to travel to dual nationals, holders of visas and residency permits, and medical patients.
Nabila al-Daour, 50, sat restlessly in the waiting hall outside the Rafah crossing.
A teacher, al-Daour was afraid of losing her job in a school in Abu Dhabi as the new academic year began and she remained stuck in Gaza.
"I have been coming here for four days," she told AA, holding her passport and registration ticket in her hand.
She had been booked for bus number six, but the slow pace of progress on the Egyptian side delayed her plans.
"There are now eight buses ahead of me. I don't think I will be able to leave today," she told AA.
Every morning, al-Daour pays 40 Israeli shekels (roughly $11) for a ride to the crossing near Rafah city. She pays the same amount again in the afternoon, when Egypt closes the crossing at 2:00pm.
"If I'm not in the United Arab Emirates by Monday, I will lose my job and UAE residency permit," she lamented.
"We can't endure this," Abu Khalil al-Hajjar, a 52-year-old Gaza City taxi driver, told Anadolu Agency.
When Egyptian diesel fuel was available in the market, he used to fill his tank for 130 Israeli shekels (roughly $63) a day. Now he must pay double this price.
As Israeli fuel shipments are limited, al-Hajjar must wait in line for at least an hour or two to get gas.
"I spend time waiting here at the expense of my working hours," he said, wiping the sweat from his brow.
A father of six, al-Hajjar blames all parties involved in what he describes as "attempts to restore the siege on Gaza."
The Egyptian army has launched a major operation against the network of secret border tunnels, which until recently represented Gaza's prime source of fuel and building materials.
The army's ongoing demolition campaign is the largest of its kind since the underground passages were dug in 2007 to circumvent Israel's embargo on the Hamas-run territory.
An official from Gaza's petroleum committee said that some one million liters of diesel used to enter the coastal enclave every day, bound for the strip's single power plant and gas stations.
"Now we only receive an average of 400,000 liters a day for both sectors," the official told AA.
If no solution is found, he expects the current shortage to worsen as Egypt steps up its operations along the border.
Building freeze
The crisis has impacted construction projects throughout the strip, most of which have ground to a halt except for small building enterprises.
"I used to get 1,000 tons of cement a day, now I barely get 30 tons," Abdulasalam al-Masri, a merchant who imports construction materials through the tunnels, told AA.
He complained that his revenues had fallen by about 90 percent in recent weeks.
Al-Masri's store in Deir al-Balah City is empty of goods, except for a few containers of paint and some rolls of wire.
He said prices for increasingly scarce building materials were on the rise.
"The price of cement increased from $100 to $200 a ton; steel from $800 to $1,000; and gravel from $800 to $1,000," al-Masri said.
A recent report by the UN Humanitarian Affairs Office said that a maximum of ten tunnels were still operational, down from approximately 50 in mid-August.
The report stated that only 20 to 30 truckloads of goods enter Gaza through the tunnels each day, compared to as many as 200 a day before the Egyptian army's demolition campaign.
Between 2007 and 2010, the tunnels had represented the source of almost all consumer products entering the Gaza Strip, which Israel restricted in a bid to punish and isolate the ruling Hamas movement.
In June 2010, Israel eased restrictions through overland crossing points, allowing food and luxury products into Gaza but maintaining the ban on cement, gravel and steel.
As a result, the Egypt-Gaza tunnels worked at full capacity to bring in materials banned by Israel, sparking a construction boom in the strip.
Restricted movement
Outside the Rafah border terminal, the main crossing point for Gaza's roughly 1.7 million residents, tears and desperation fill the air.
Many people have been reporting to the crossing for a week, some for ten days, without getting through.
"The situation is very bad here," said Maher Abu Sabha, director of crossing points in the Hamas government.
He said that some 6,000 Palestinians were registered to travel, but Egypt had only allowed 300 people to leave Gaza daily since the crossing was reopened last month with new regulations.
According to Abu Sabha, the Egyptians have restricted those eligible to travel to dual nationals, holders of visas and residency permits, and medical patients.
Nabila al-Daour, 50, sat restlessly in the waiting hall outside the Rafah crossing.
A teacher, al-Daour was afraid of losing her job in a school in Abu Dhabi as the new academic year began and she remained stuck in Gaza.
"I have been coming here for four days," she told AA, holding her passport and registration ticket in her hand.
She had been booked for bus number six, but the slow pace of progress on the Egyptian side delayed her plans.
"There are now eight buses ahead of me. I don't think I will be able to leave today," she told AA.
Every morning, al-Daour pays 40 Israeli shekels (roughly $11) for a ride to the crossing near Rafah city. She pays the same amount again in the afternoon, when Egypt closes the crossing at 2:00pm.
"If I'm not in the United Arab Emirates by Monday, I will lose my job and UAE residency permit," she lamented.
The Palestinian Contractors Union has warned of a real economic catastrophe and rising unemployment in the Gaza Strip due to the Egyptian border crackdown against the tunnels used to bring construction materials into the besieged Gaza Strip. The Egyptian army still persists in a frenzied campaign to destroy all the tunnels that were dug by Gaza civilians to cope with the impacts of the blockade imposed on the Strip by Israel and Egypt. These tunnels had helped over the past years the Gaza population to survive the difficult humanitarian situation, especially during the two Israeli wars.
Nabil Abu Meilq, chairman of the Palestinian Contractors Union, stated that the demolition of tunnels by Egyptian army led to doubling the prices of construction materials.
He stressed the need to unite all efforts to protect Gaza's economy and national construction companies.
The continuing shortage of construction materials in the strip would lead to rising unemployment and decline in the construction industry. It will also affect all economic fields, he said.
He appealed to the PA President Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian government, the United Nations, and the international Quartet to intervene immediately to allow the entry of the construction materials with the needed quantities.
The Union called on the Qatari Committee for the reconstruction of Gaza to intervene to provide the besieged Strip with the necessary construction material.
More than 20,000 Palestinians, who work in bringing vital supplies into the besieged Gaza Strip, would find themselves jobless as 90% of the smuggling tunnels have stopped functioning
Tunnel trade has served as a life line for the besieged strip since the unjust Israeli siege imposed on the strip in 2007. However, after the military coup the Egyptian authorities have declared recently the establishment of buffer zone on the Egyptian-Palestinian borders and started bulldozing Egyptian homes along the Gaza Strip border in order to destroy the tunnels linking Egyptian Rafah to the Strip.
Nabil Abu Meilq, chairman of the Palestinian Contractors Union, stated that the demolition of tunnels by Egyptian army led to doubling the prices of construction materials.
He stressed the need to unite all efforts to protect Gaza's economy and national construction companies.
The continuing shortage of construction materials in the strip would lead to rising unemployment and decline in the construction industry. It will also affect all economic fields, he said.
He appealed to the PA President Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian government, the United Nations, and the international Quartet to intervene immediately to allow the entry of the construction materials with the needed quantities.
The Union called on the Qatari Committee for the reconstruction of Gaza to intervene to provide the besieged Strip with the necessary construction material.
More than 20,000 Palestinians, who work in bringing vital supplies into the besieged Gaza Strip, would find themselves jobless as 90% of the smuggling tunnels have stopped functioning
Tunnel trade has served as a life line for the besieged strip since the unjust Israeli siege imposed on the strip in 2007. However, after the military coup the Egyptian authorities have declared recently the establishment of buffer zone on the Egyptian-Palestinian borders and started bulldozing Egyptian homes along the Gaza Strip border in order to destroy the tunnels linking Egyptian Rafah to the Strip.
Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) issued on Tuesday, a survey on hotel activities in the West Bank during the second quarter of 2013.
According to PCBS, 153,000 guests stayed in hotels in the West Bank of which 39% were from European Union countries and 9% were Palestinians.
The number of hotel guests was 27% higher than in the previous quarter and 3% lower than in the second quarter of 2012.
The number of guest nights in West Bank hotels was 377,000 of which 10% were Palestinians, 40% were from European Union countries and 14% were from Asia.
There were 2,793 hotel workers: 2,121 males and 672 females.
Hotel Room Occupancy
The room occupancy rate in the West Bank was 26% in the second quarter of 2013.
Room occupancy was 19% higher than in the previous quarter and 16% lower than in the second quarter of 2012.
Hotel Capacity by Region
In June 2013, there were 107 hotels operating in the West Bank responded to the survey and have available 5,936 rooms with a total of 13,545 beds. These were distributed by region as follows:
• North of West Bank: 14 hotels comprising 269 rooms with 787 beds.
• Middle of West Bank: 32 hotels comprising 1,481 rooms with 3,520 beds
• Jerusalem: 29 hotels comprising 1,582 rooms with 3,507 beds.
• South of West Bank: 32 hotels comprising 2,604 rooms with 5,731 beds.
According to PCBS, 153,000 guests stayed in hotels in the West Bank of which 39% were from European Union countries and 9% were Palestinians.
The number of hotel guests was 27% higher than in the previous quarter and 3% lower than in the second quarter of 2012.
The number of guest nights in West Bank hotels was 377,000 of which 10% were Palestinians, 40% were from European Union countries and 14% were from Asia.
There were 2,793 hotel workers: 2,121 males and 672 females.
Hotel Room Occupancy
The room occupancy rate in the West Bank was 26% in the second quarter of 2013.
Room occupancy was 19% higher than in the previous quarter and 16% lower than in the second quarter of 2012.
Hotel Capacity by Region
In June 2013, there were 107 hotels operating in the West Bank responded to the survey and have available 5,936 rooms with a total of 13,545 beds. These were distributed by region as follows:
• North of West Bank: 14 hotels comprising 269 rooms with 787 beds.
• Middle of West Bank: 32 hotels comprising 1,481 rooms with 3,520 beds
• Jerusalem: 29 hotels comprising 1,582 rooms with 3,507 beds.
• South of West Bank: 32 hotels comprising 2,604 rooms with 5,731 beds.
9 sept 2013
Palestinian Chamber of Commerce in the Gaza Strip warned that the sudden closure of tunnels between Gaza and Egypt without opening the commercial crossings and without allowing entry of all types of goods into Gaza, contribute in tightening the blockade. It pointed out that the closure of tunnels "is causing heavy economic losses, especially in the construction sector, which depends entirely on the entry of construction materials and supplies through the tunnels as the Israeli side has been preventing their entry through the official crossings."
The Egyptian military have continued to demolish the tunnels established by the Palestinians for smuggling the basic materials into Gaza.
These tunnels have helped over the years people in the Strip to overcome the blockade imposed by the Israeli occupation forces since 2007.
Dr. Maher Tabaa, director of public relations at the Chamber of Commerce in the Gaza Strip, told Quds Press that the increase in unemployment and poverty rates is caused by the stoppage of economic activities due to the closure of the tunnels.
Tabaa said that the Palestinian economy suffered direct economic losses in the sectors of production, investment, foreign trade, agriculture and industry, and this has doubled the economic, social, health and psychological problems.
He noted that two months after the siege the Israeli government made a decision considering the Gaza Strip as a hostile entity and decided to take a series of measures to tighten the siege.
He added that due to the blockade unemployment rates in the early years of the blockade exceeded 40% while the number of unemployed hit 170 thousand people.
Baradwil: Tightening Gaza siege is part of a war against Islamists in the region
The leader in Hamas movement Dr. Salah Bardawil stated that tightening the siege on the Gaza Strip does not only target Hamas movement and resistance but it targets Egypt as well. Tightening Gaza siege and demolishing the tunnels came as part of the fierce incitement campaign launched by Egyptian media against Hamas and the Palestinian resistance, he said.
Unfortunately the Egyptian media has been waging a campaign against Hamas and the Gaza Strip, trying to stick false charges to the movement in an attempt to wage a war against Islamists in the region, he said.
He stressed that his movement did not and will not intervene into the Egyptian internal crisis, calling on wise men in Egypt to put an end to the unfair and unjustified incitement campaign that was followed by restricted security measures on the border with the Gaza Strip, causing a real humanitarian crisis.
Bardawil confirmed that a state of anger has prevailed among the Palestinian people in the besieged strip, noting that the recent restrictions aim at subjugating Palestinians. He called on Egyptian authorities to allow supplying the Gaza Strip with fuel and humanitarian aid.
Tightening the siege of the strip targets both Gaza and the Egyptian security as well, he stressed.
On the other hand, he criticized PA's positions towards the Gaza Strip, saying that it tries to escape from its responsibilities, where it continues its incitement against Hamas and resistance in search of regional and western financial aid.
The Egyptian military have continued to demolish the tunnels established by the Palestinians for smuggling the basic materials into Gaza.
These tunnels have helped over the years people in the Strip to overcome the blockade imposed by the Israeli occupation forces since 2007.
Dr. Maher Tabaa, director of public relations at the Chamber of Commerce in the Gaza Strip, told Quds Press that the increase in unemployment and poverty rates is caused by the stoppage of economic activities due to the closure of the tunnels.
Tabaa said that the Palestinian economy suffered direct economic losses in the sectors of production, investment, foreign trade, agriculture and industry, and this has doubled the economic, social, health and psychological problems.
He noted that two months after the siege the Israeli government made a decision considering the Gaza Strip as a hostile entity and decided to take a series of measures to tighten the siege.
He added that due to the blockade unemployment rates in the early years of the blockade exceeded 40% while the number of unemployed hit 170 thousand people.
Baradwil: Tightening Gaza siege is part of a war against Islamists in the region
The leader in Hamas movement Dr. Salah Bardawil stated that tightening the siege on the Gaza Strip does not only target Hamas movement and resistance but it targets Egypt as well. Tightening Gaza siege and demolishing the tunnels came as part of the fierce incitement campaign launched by Egyptian media against Hamas and the Palestinian resistance, he said.
Unfortunately the Egyptian media has been waging a campaign against Hamas and the Gaza Strip, trying to stick false charges to the movement in an attempt to wage a war against Islamists in the region, he said.
He stressed that his movement did not and will not intervene into the Egyptian internal crisis, calling on wise men in Egypt to put an end to the unfair and unjustified incitement campaign that was followed by restricted security measures on the border with the Gaza Strip, causing a real humanitarian crisis.
Bardawil confirmed that a state of anger has prevailed among the Palestinian people in the besieged strip, noting that the recent restrictions aim at subjugating Palestinians. He called on Egyptian authorities to allow supplying the Gaza Strip with fuel and humanitarian aid.
Tightening the siege of the strip targets both Gaza and the Egyptian security as well, he stressed.
On the other hand, he criticized PA's positions towards the Gaza Strip, saying that it tries to escape from its responsibilities, where it continues its incitement against Hamas and resistance in search of regional and western financial aid.
The European Union announced Monday a €52 million assistance package to support economic and social development and institution-building measures foreseen by the Palestinian National Development Plan for 2011-2013, an EU press release said. This funding, which was announced on the day that Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah is visiting Brussels for talks with the High Representative, will support private sector in creating new jobs, support the construction of the new Nablus East Water Treatment Plant, finance small capital investment projects in different municipalities and continue to help deliver community services in East Jerusalem.
This is the final part of EU assistance to the Palestinian people in 2013 from the European Neighborhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI), bringing the total amount contributed from this instrument this year to €300 million.
Announcing the assistance package, the High Representative Catherine Ashton said she was pleased to announce this assistance package on the day that Hamdallah is in Brussels.
“The ultimate objective of the EU's financial assistance remains the establishment of a Palestinian state living side by side with Israel in peace and security,” she said.
Ashton said he discussed with Hamdallah “the difficult financial situation” of the Palestinian Authority and the expectations for the meeting of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) due to take place at the margins of UN General Assembly in New York.
Ashton and Hamdallah also followed up on their discussions held in June during the High Representative's visit to the Middle East, said the statement.
She confirmed the EU's support for the Palestinian state-building process and stressed the need for a strong and stable Palestinian government committed to reform and the rule of law.
Ashton also expressed full support of the European Union for the ongoing Middle East peace talks.
EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy, Štefan Füle, said Europe has to look beyond immediate financial help to the Palestinian Authority to provide longer-term sustainable support.
“We will also continue to support the Palestinian population in East Jerusalem to help ensure their access to services in East Jerusalem,” he said.
This is the final part of EU assistance to the Palestinian people in 2013 from the European Neighborhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI), bringing the total amount contributed from this instrument this year to €300 million.
Announcing the assistance package, the High Representative Catherine Ashton said she was pleased to announce this assistance package on the day that Hamdallah is in Brussels.
“The ultimate objective of the EU's financial assistance remains the establishment of a Palestinian state living side by side with Israel in peace and security,” she said.
Ashton said he discussed with Hamdallah “the difficult financial situation” of the Palestinian Authority and the expectations for the meeting of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) due to take place at the margins of UN General Assembly in New York.
Ashton and Hamdallah also followed up on their discussions held in June during the High Representative's visit to the Middle East, said the statement.
She confirmed the EU's support for the Palestinian state-building process and stressed the need for a strong and stable Palestinian government committed to reform and the rule of law.
Ashton also expressed full support of the European Union for the ongoing Middle East peace talks.
EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy, Štefan Füle, said Europe has to look beyond immediate financial help to the Palestinian Authority to provide longer-term sustainable support.
“We will also continue to support the Palestinian population in East Jerusalem to help ensure their access to services in East Jerusalem,” he said.
An official at the Gaza power plant revealed about connections with Egypt, International organizations and PA in Ramallah to solve the fuel crisis to operate the power plant in the Gaza Strip. Ahmed Abu Al-Amrein, the Manager of Information Unit at the Gaza power plan, affirmed that Gaza's sole power plant will stops completely in case fuel crisis is not solved.
“In case the power plant stops, we will depend mainly on electricity come from Israel and Egypt, which means that citizens will enjoy electricity only six hours a day.” Said Abu Al-Amreen.
The actual need of the Gaza Strip for electricity is about 300 megawatts. 120 megawatts come from the Israeli occupation, and 17 megawatt from Egypt; and the remaining is generated by the Palestinian Electricity Company.
The fuel crisis increased when the Egyptian authorities decided to establish the buffer zone on the Egyptian side of the border with the Gaza strip and destroyed all tunnels which were used to smuggle fuel to the Gaza Strip.
“In case the power plant stops, we will depend mainly on electricity come from Israel and Egypt, which means that citizens will enjoy electricity only six hours a day.” Said Abu Al-Amreen.
The actual need of the Gaza Strip for electricity is about 300 megawatts. 120 megawatts come from the Israeli occupation, and 17 megawatt from Egypt; and the remaining is generated by the Palestinian Electricity Company.
The fuel crisis increased when the Egyptian authorities decided to establish the buffer zone on the Egyptian side of the border with the Gaza strip and destroyed all tunnels which were used to smuggle fuel to the Gaza Strip.
8 sept 2013
Independent MP Jamal Al-Khudari has asked Catherine Ashton, the European Union’s foreign commissioner, to supply the Gaza Strip’s sole power generation station with fuel. He said in a statement on Sunday that urgent supplies were needed in order to avoid a humanitarian disaster that would affect vital sectors in the besieged enclave including health, environment, education, social, and infrastructure in the event of the probable shut down due to fuel shortage.
The MP, who is also heading the popular committee against siege, said that closure of the station would lead to the collapse of basic utilities in the Strip that have been already suffering as a result of the Israeli siege over the past seven years.
The EU was responsible for financing the fuel supplies to Gaza’s generation station as part of an aid package until November 2009 when the responsibility was shifted to the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah.
Khudari said that the PA could not provide enough supplies, adding that the Gaza inhabitants were looking forward to an urgent EU response to alleviate their suffering.
The MP, who is also heading the popular committee against siege, said that closure of the station would lead to the collapse of basic utilities in the Strip that have been already suffering as a result of the Israeli siege over the past seven years.
The EU was responsible for financing the fuel supplies to Gaza’s generation station as part of an aid package until November 2009 when the responsibility was shifted to the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah.
Khudari said that the PA could not provide enough supplies, adding that the Gaza inhabitants were looking forward to an urgent EU response to alleviate their suffering.
When the Egyptian authorities decided to establish the buffer zone on the Egyptian side of the border with the Gaza strip, it meant that it put the life of many Gazans in danger. Fuel affects generating electricity which supplies most big hospitals in the Gaza Strip.
The Vice Director of Al-Shefa hospital, the biggest health care center in the Gaza Strip, said, "we don't have any reserve of fuel for the hospital generators and so when electricity blacks out, all patients in the ICU, nursery units, kidney failure units and those with chronic chest diseases will die."
Deputy Head of Power Authority Fathi Al-Sheikh Khalil said” the actual need of the Gaza Strip for electricity is about 300 megawatts. 120 megawatts come from the Israeli occupation, and 17 megawatt from Egypt; and the remaining is generated by the Palestinian Electricity Company.”
“In addition to the electricity grid of the Gaza Strip being too old and unable to serve optimally, the Israelis attacked the Palestinian electricity company in mid 2006 to destroy it completely, plunging the Gaza Strip into darkness,” he said.
"But after two stages of maintenance, the company became able to supply only 80 megawatt; and this isn't enough to fulfill the remaining needs of the Strip,” he said.
Furthermore, "the Electricity Company needs 450,000 liters of industrial diesel fuel daily while the Israelis and Egyptians don't allow, of course, more than 315,000 liters which is enough for generating only 55 megawatt," he added.
Execution verdict on patients:
The spokesman for the Health ministry in Gaza Ashraf Al-Qedrah said, "the electricity blackout means an execution verdict on the life of 400 kidney failure patients, 450 patients of cancer, 400 heart diseases patients, 50 premature children and a big number of the chronic chest disease patients."
The shortage of electricity doesn't only affect the health of patients, but also affects the general health situation of Gazans as the pumping of drinking water to houses stops, and the pumping of sanitation waste out of houses stops as well.
The head of the Association of Petroleum Companies in Gaza, said, "Gaza needs 250,000 liters of diesel for cars and motors, in addition to 450,000 liters for the Electricity Company. It also needs 50,000 liters of gasoline. However, after destroying the tunnels the Egyptians allow zero liters of fuel to enter the coastal enclave at this time."
Old electricity grid worn out:
The worn-out electricity grid needs constant repairs because of old age as well as Israeli attacks.
In addition to the Gazan electricity grid being too old, the Israelis keep destroying the main transformers under the pretext of fighting terrorism. Also, the overloading use of electricity weakens the grid's infrastructure, causing further loss in the transmitted electricity.
And what exhausts the grid even more is the continuous switching on and off of the electrical current to divide the available portion among the different suburbs of Gaza. "This ruins the transformers, the branch fuses, and many wires as they have to load more than their power," Al-Sheikh Khalil said.
The fuel supplies to the Gaza Strip have stopped completely. The Palestinian Power Authority even has its own fuel reserves which are enough for a few days, according to Al-Sheikh Khalil.
The Vice Director of Al-Shefa hospital, the biggest health care center in the Gaza Strip, said, "we don't have any reserve of fuel for the hospital generators and so when electricity blacks out, all patients in the ICU, nursery units, kidney failure units and those with chronic chest diseases will die."
Deputy Head of Power Authority Fathi Al-Sheikh Khalil said” the actual need of the Gaza Strip for electricity is about 300 megawatts. 120 megawatts come from the Israeli occupation, and 17 megawatt from Egypt; and the remaining is generated by the Palestinian Electricity Company.”
“In addition to the electricity grid of the Gaza Strip being too old and unable to serve optimally, the Israelis attacked the Palestinian electricity company in mid 2006 to destroy it completely, plunging the Gaza Strip into darkness,” he said.
"But after two stages of maintenance, the company became able to supply only 80 megawatt; and this isn't enough to fulfill the remaining needs of the Strip,” he said.
Furthermore, "the Electricity Company needs 450,000 liters of industrial diesel fuel daily while the Israelis and Egyptians don't allow, of course, more than 315,000 liters which is enough for generating only 55 megawatt," he added.
Execution verdict on patients:
The spokesman for the Health ministry in Gaza Ashraf Al-Qedrah said, "the electricity blackout means an execution verdict on the life of 400 kidney failure patients, 450 patients of cancer, 400 heart diseases patients, 50 premature children and a big number of the chronic chest disease patients."
The shortage of electricity doesn't only affect the health of patients, but also affects the general health situation of Gazans as the pumping of drinking water to houses stops, and the pumping of sanitation waste out of houses stops as well.
The head of the Association of Petroleum Companies in Gaza, said, "Gaza needs 250,000 liters of diesel for cars and motors, in addition to 450,000 liters for the Electricity Company. It also needs 50,000 liters of gasoline. However, after destroying the tunnels the Egyptians allow zero liters of fuel to enter the coastal enclave at this time."
Old electricity grid worn out:
The worn-out electricity grid needs constant repairs because of old age as well as Israeli attacks.
In addition to the Gazan electricity grid being too old, the Israelis keep destroying the main transformers under the pretext of fighting terrorism. Also, the overloading use of electricity weakens the grid's infrastructure, causing further loss in the transmitted electricity.
And what exhausts the grid even more is the continuous switching on and off of the electrical current to divide the available portion among the different suburbs of Gaza. "This ruins the transformers, the branch fuses, and many wires as they have to load more than their power," Al-Sheikh Khalil said.
The fuel supplies to the Gaza Strip have stopped completely. The Palestinian Power Authority even has its own fuel reserves which are enough for a few days, according to Al-Sheikh Khalil.
The current situation in the Gaza Strip, after Egypt’s full destruction of the lifeline tunnels, is the toughest since December 2008, EuroMid Observer for Human Rights reported. The EuroMid Observer for Human Rights in cooperation with the Palestinian Return Centre (PRC) in London and the Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organizations (MAPIM) issued a field report entitled " Slow Death" citing the re-newed and developing grim realities that are imposed by Israel on Gaza in the form of an illegal blockade since 2006.
The field report cited that over the past two month , the populations of Gaza have faced severe shortages in the basic requirements of living conditions within the health sector as well as all other sectors. The basic food and fuel commodities have been hardly hit as Egypt closed great majority of the tunnels used in smuggling these needs.
The right of freedom of movement is affected severely, where Egyptian authorities have closed Rafah border crossing; banning constantly tens of thousands from leaving out or into Gaza. International Humanitarian Law holds Israel responsible as well as Egypt for caging over 1.6 million in an open air prison.
Economists expected a sharp increase in the unemployment level as it will be 43% by the end of 2013 compare with 32% in June 2013, the report cited.
According to the report, the incessant closure of the tunnels will lead to a 3% decline in the growth by the end of 2013 compared with 15% as of June 2013. Meanwhile, the construction sector is working with less than 15% of its previous capacity leading to more than 30.000 losses in job opportunities since July 2013.
The report stated that the longstanding electricity deficit, compounded by shortages in fuel needed to run Gaza’s power plant, results in power outages of up to 12 hours a day. Additionally, only a quarter of households receive running water every day, during several hours only, while over 90% of the water extracted from the Gaza aquifer is unsafe for human consumption.
Some 90 million liters of untreated and partially treated sewage are dumped in the sea off the Gaza coast each day, creating public health hazards. Additionally; the economy has endured severe losses worth of $460 million in all economic sectors within the past two months.
As the occupying power, Israel has a duty under International Humanitarian Law to ensure the welfare of the population of Gaza without discrimination. Israel has failed to uphold the population’s human rights, including the rights to health, to education, to work and to an adequate standard of living, which includes the rights to food and adequate housing. Israel should be held accountable under international law for the collective punishment of an entire population.
The field report cited that over the past two month , the populations of Gaza have faced severe shortages in the basic requirements of living conditions within the health sector as well as all other sectors. The basic food and fuel commodities have been hardly hit as Egypt closed great majority of the tunnels used in smuggling these needs.
The right of freedom of movement is affected severely, where Egyptian authorities have closed Rafah border crossing; banning constantly tens of thousands from leaving out or into Gaza. International Humanitarian Law holds Israel responsible as well as Egypt for caging over 1.6 million in an open air prison.
Economists expected a sharp increase in the unemployment level as it will be 43% by the end of 2013 compare with 32% in June 2013, the report cited.
According to the report, the incessant closure of the tunnels will lead to a 3% decline in the growth by the end of 2013 compared with 15% as of June 2013. Meanwhile, the construction sector is working with less than 15% of its previous capacity leading to more than 30.000 losses in job opportunities since July 2013.
The report stated that the longstanding electricity deficit, compounded by shortages in fuel needed to run Gaza’s power plant, results in power outages of up to 12 hours a day. Additionally, only a quarter of households receive running water every day, during several hours only, while over 90% of the water extracted from the Gaza aquifer is unsafe for human consumption.
Some 90 million liters of untreated and partially treated sewage are dumped in the sea off the Gaza coast each day, creating public health hazards. Additionally; the economy has endured severe losses worth of $460 million in all economic sectors within the past two months.
As the occupying power, Israel has a duty under International Humanitarian Law to ensure the welfare of the population of Gaza without discrimination. Israel has failed to uphold the population’s human rights, including the rights to health, to education, to work and to an adequate standard of living, which includes the rights to food and adequate housing. Israel should be held accountable under international law for the collective punishment of an entire population.
The Palestinian NGOs network said that the Gaza Strip population live in very difficult humanitarian conditions as a result of the Israeli blockade, the destruction of tunnels and the closure of crossings. In a press release on Saturday, director of the network Amjad Al-Shawwa condemned the absence of serious international action to end the blockade on Gaza despite all human rights reports that had talked about its deteriorating humanitarian situation.
Shawwa noted that several international reports had stated that about 57 percent of the Gazan families suffer from food insecurity.
He warned that the power station would stop to operate any day as a result of the fuel crisis and consequently, all service sectors, especially the hospitals, would suffer considerably.
He also pointed out to the international report indicating that more than 95 percent of Gaza water is unfit for human consumption, not to mention its acute scarcity.
"All these indicators and more necessitate real action at all Arab and international levels to pressure the Zionist enemy to open all crossings before the movement of personnel and goods in both directions," the head of the NGOs network underlined.
Shawwa noted that several international reports had stated that about 57 percent of the Gazan families suffer from food insecurity.
He warned that the power station would stop to operate any day as a result of the fuel crisis and consequently, all service sectors, especially the hospitals, would suffer considerably.
He also pointed out to the international report indicating that more than 95 percent of Gaza water is unfit for human consumption, not to mention its acute scarcity.
"All these indicators and more necessitate real action at all Arab and international levels to pressure the Zionist enemy to open all crossings before the movement of personnel and goods in both directions," the head of the NGOs network underlined.
7 sept 2013
The Palestinian ministry of transport in Gaza warned that the acute fuel shortage in Gaza rendered thousands of taxi drivers unemployed after their vehicles became out of service. According to Palestinian officials in Gaza, the current fuel crisis is mainly attributed to Egypt's destruction of most of Rafah border tunnels, which were used to cover some of the fuel and food needs of the Gazan population, who are trying hard to cope with the impacts of the Israeli blockade on their daily lives.
For its part, the UN office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs (OCHA) recently expressed its grave concern over the humanitarian situation in Gaza which has unprecedentedly worsened following the latest Egyptian measures against Gaza tunnels and restrictions on movement of goods and personnel at Rafah border crossing.
OCHA called on Egypt and Israel to open all border crossings with Gaza and facilitate the movement of goods and civilians from and into the impoverished Strip.
In turn, MP Jamal Al-Khudari, head of the popular committee against the siege, warned that Israel's closure of Karam Abu Salem commercial crossing for the fourth consecutive day has exacerbated the difficult life of the civilians in Gaza and made it unbearable.
"The closure of Karam Abu Salem crossing has caused a severe shortage of basic supplies, including fuel and combustibles, despite the fact that the Israeli blockade has already worsened the difficult situation," MP Khudari said.
For its part, the UN office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs (OCHA) recently expressed its grave concern over the humanitarian situation in Gaza which has unprecedentedly worsened following the latest Egyptian measures against Gaza tunnels and restrictions on movement of goods and personnel at Rafah border crossing.
OCHA called on Egypt and Israel to open all border crossings with Gaza and facilitate the movement of goods and civilians from and into the impoverished Strip.
In turn, MP Jamal Al-Khudari, head of the popular committee against the siege, warned that Israel's closure of Karam Abu Salem commercial crossing for the fourth consecutive day has exacerbated the difficult life of the civilians in Gaza and made it unbearable.
"The closure of Karam Abu Salem crossing has caused a severe shortage of basic supplies, including fuel and combustibles, despite the fact that the Israeli blockade has already worsened the difficult situation," MP Khudari said.