Through its blockade and siege, now in place for years, Israel has ensured that only limited quantities of humanitarian goods – food and medical supplies – are allowed to enter the Gaza Strip.
Israel prohibits the entry of hundreds of other life sustaining commodities – especially fuel, construction materials and spare parts for essential maintenance.
The continued Israeli imposed blockade is obstructing efforts aimed at rehabilitating and reconstructing tens of thousands of homes, other civilian infrastructure, and private and public property destroyed during the latest Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip.
It has become clear that the blockade and closure policy is a form of illegal and brutal collective punishment which has no relation to the security of Israel.
These policies continue with the complicity of the international community which has failed to take any meaningful steps to end the collective punishment imposed on a million and a half Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
The latest decision by the Israeli government has removed any remaining doubt that the opening of Gaza crossings is related to a single issue – the release of the Israeli soldier detained in the Gaza Strip since mid-2006.
The indirect negotiations to release him and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons have been obstructed since then.
The Israeli Occupation Forces continue to keep sealed all the crossings that connect the Gaza Strip to the outside world and to almost completely prevent the freedom of movement of people and goods.
This situation has created inhuman living conditions for the Strip’s residents, and especially the thousands of families whose homes and belongings were destroyed in the latest invasion, and it has heightened also the deep humanitarian crisis caused by years of blockade.
Further, the siege has stopped the economic wheel from turning and obstructed efforts aimed at improving the public health, water, electricity and education sectors amongst others.
As a result, poverty, ill-health and unemployment figures have reached some of the worst in the world.
  Al Mezan Center for Human Rights strongly condemns the collective punishment imposed by the Israeli Occupation Forces on the Gaza Strip which affects all aspects of civilian life, and impacts most heavily upon the poor, the sick and children.
The stated goal of this collective punishment policy can never constitute an acceptable justification to shamefully violate the rules of international law thereby gravely violating human rights.
Al Mezan Center calls on the international community to take immediate and effective action to: ·         End the Israeli blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip ·         Guarantee the entry of essential goods required for reconstruction, as well as food, medical supplies, clothes and fuel ·         Ensure freedom of movement for the Strip’s residents Al Mezan Center for Human Rights affirms that the Israeli imposed collective punishment constitutes a grave violation of human rights and the principles of international humanitarian law – reaching the levels of a crime against humanity.
Al Mezan calls on the international community and especially the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to adhere to their legal and moral responsibility to stop these crimes and prosecute their perpetrators.
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