The International Commission (Hashd): Israel’s closure of border crossings exacerbates the Gaza Strip’s humanitarian catastrophe.

Reference Number: :/2023
Date: May 9, 2023
Native language: Arabic

Press Release

The International Commission (Hashd): Israel’s closure of border crossings exacerbates the Gaza Strip’s humanitarian catastrophe.

The International Commission to Support Palestinian Rights (Hashd) has followed the Israeli actions accompanying the attacks against the Gaza Strip with great concern and condemnation. In the early hours of Tuesday, May 9, 2023, the so-called “Israeli” Government Coordinator announced, in Palestinian areas, the closure of crossings (Beit Hanoun and Karm Abu Salim) to those coming and leaving until further notice.

Israel’s actions aimed at enforcing the illegal blockade of the Gaza Strip lined up with the start of an Israeli military operation at dawn of the day; to date, they have resulted in the deaths of 15 citizens, including four children and four women, and the injuries of more than 20 others.

Furthermore, the closure of the Karm Abu Salem crossing, the only commercial crossing, will have catastrophic humanitarian consequences, particularly for the electricity service, which is at the heart of life, especially as Israel continues to wage war against the Gaza Strip and the need for hospitals for it; the closure of the Beit Hanoun “Erez” crossing will also deny access to hospitals in the West Bank to hundreds of patients and emergencies, particularly those with severe medical conditions; In April 2023, a medication list deficit of 255 items stored was zero, with a deficit rate of 43%, while the number of zero items on the list of circulating medical consumables was 165, with a deficit rate of 19%, and the number of zero items in the total number of cancer patients’ (63) medicines was about 27.

The International Commission to Support Palestinian Rights (Hashd) warns of escalating humanitarian and living conditions for more than 2 million people as a result of crossing shutdowns, which will contribute to restricting the movement of patients and halting medical, food, and other essential items. It also expresses its fear of continued war attacks and targeting civilian objects. It notes the following:

1. The International Commission (Hashd): Demands that the international community consider its legal and moral responsibilities and act actively to stop the Israeli occupation’s crimes and open the Gaza Strip crossings immediately, end the illegal blockade of the Gaza Strip, which has caused and continues to deteriorate the humanitarian conditions of the people of Gaza, and compel the occupying power to respect the principles of international human rights law and international law.
2. The International Commission (Hashd): requests that the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court open an in-depth investigation into the crimes of the Israeli occupation and put an end to the politics of procrastination and selective law enforcement in order to prevent occupation leaders from enjoying impunity.

The International Commission to Support Palestinian Rights (Hashd)

Finished.