One-month-and-a-half after Israel's closing of Rafah Crossing, the conditions of over 6,000 Palestinian civilians trapped in Egypt have worsened.
Most of those had left Gaza for healthcare, education and work.
Inside Gaza, hundreds have also been trapped; especially those in urgent need to access hospital services unavailable in Gaza, work and education.
A prolonged closure of Rafah Crossing, which is the only outlet for Gazans to the outside world, is not a novelty.
Israel had frequently closed it and caused civilians to live similar conditions of misery.
However, this has been the first time civilians trapped at the Crossing's two sides are not allowed in or out.
A two-day opening could be sufficient for those to pass through.
After the conclusion of the disengagement from Gaza on 12 September 2005, Israel closed the Crossing for two months on the pretense that there was not an agreed mechanism to operationalise it.
The Crossing was re-opened officially after the arrival of the EU observers.
Nevertheless, over that two-month period, the Crossing was opened five times; including a full two-day opening for pilgrims, and three times to allow for trapped civilians to pass in and out of Gaza.
In this last closure, the Crossing has been completely closed since 10 June 2007, save for one occasion allowing 180 people who were not allowed entry to Egypt.
Those passed through in the absence of the EU observers on 18 June 2007.
Al Mezan believes there are not reasonable obstacles preventing an exceptional opening of Rafah Crossing so that thousands of civilians, among whom are many elderly, children and sick, to return to their homes and end a chapter of their misery.
By not doing so, Israel insists on using their misery as a measure of collective punishment.
Al Mezan reiterates its condemnation of the continued closure of Rafah Crossing by Israel and the severe restrictions on Gazans mobility and access.
This closure represents a flagrant form of collective punishment of civilians for purely political gains.
It is not acceptable to abuse human rights for political purposes.
The Center denounces the continued pushing of civilians into the agonies of the conflict.
This is a serious contradiction to the very purposes of international human rights standards and international humanitarian law, which assert the preservation of human dignity under all circumstances.
Al Mezan calls on the international community to pressure Israel to open the Rafah Crossing without delay.
The Center questions the continued indifference towards such human suffering.
It also calls on the Palestinian president to double the efforts to ensure the safe passage of thousands of Palestinian citizens into and outside Gaza.
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