On Saturday, 1 November 2014, Israeli authorities announced the closure of all crossings into the Gaza Strip; the Israeli closure follows the Egyptian closure of Rafah crossing on 24 October 2014.
Palestinian families and university students remain stuck on both sides of the crossing.
An estimated several hundred Palestinians who left the Gaza Strip for work or medical treatment are currently unable to return home.
The Israeli forces continue to carry out gross and systematic violations against Palestinians in the access restricted areas of the Gaza Strip.
Notably, the attacks on fishermen continue to escalate and include shooting at fishermen, damage to fishing equipment, arrest and harassment of fishermen, and the confiscation of fishing boats and equipment, in flagrant violation of international law.
The Israeli tightened siege imposed on the Gaza Strip coincides with the escalation of violations against Palestinians in East Jerusalem, including the provocative entry of Jewish groups to the Al Aqsa Mosque (Haram al-Shareef), the closure of the mosque before payers on Thursday, 30 October 2014, and the ongoing restrictions imposed on worshippers.
The closure of the crossings into Gaza further aggravates the humanitarian crisis, where the electricity cuts remain frequent and access remains hindered to basic health care, water and waste services.
Al Mezan Center for Human Rights strongly condemns the Israeli imposed closure of the Gaza Strip, which constitutes a form of collective punishment in violation of international humanitarian law.
Al Mezan expresses concern over the continued deterioration of the humanitarian situation, particularly for those who remain displaced from the recent Israeli aggression on Gaza.
Al Mezan stresses that the living conditions will worsen as the winter approaches.
Al Mezan views the Israeli violations in the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem as factors that will lead to more violence and armed resistance.
The situation is increasing unstable.
Al Mezan questions the failure of the international community to take tangible and effective steps to end the systematic immunity or to lay the foundations for accountability for violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
States and international organizations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross and the UN, have described the Israeli siege as an intolerable form of unlawful collective punishment.
Al Mezan calls on the international community to promptly take effective measures to: Immediately lift the illegal siege imposed on the Gaza Strip by securing free passage of people and commodities, including construction materials needed for the reconstruction of Gaza; Ensure the protection of civilians and civilian property and infrastructure in the face of continued Israeli attacks on the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt); End the persistent violations against holy sites and residents of East Jerusalem, including restrictions imposed on worshippers to practice their religion, the confiscation of Palestinian lands, and the destruction of homes; Enforce international mechanisms of accountability for violations of international law and provide redress for the victims of violations; and Accelerate the efforts to end the occupation and secure the Palestinians’ collective right to self-determination in accordance with international law.