On Monday 10 July 2006, the Israeli High Court held a hearing for a petition by four human rights organisations concerning the IOF closure of the Rafah Crossing since 25 June 2005.
It ruled that Israel’s Occupation Forces (IOF) have 48 hours to find an ‘urgent humanitarian solution’ for the Palestinians who have been trapped at the border, especially those who are ill.
The petitioners’ attorney provided that IOF had closed the Crossing many times in the past, that its closure comes in accordance with an intentional military order and that the army is fully aware of the humanitarian implications of such a closure.
She demanded that the Crossing be re-opened for civilian movement immediately.
The petitioner organisations repudiated the attempts to politicise the issue of the Crossing or linking it with any Palestinian/Israeli political differences.
They stressed that the IOF had the full authority to open or close the Crossing, and that by virtue of possession of this power they must be requested to re-open the closed Crossing with immediate effect to end the humanitarian crisis suffered by thousands of Palestinian civilians trapped into it.
The petitioner organisations, Physicians for Human Rights-Israel, Gaza Community mental health program, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights - Gaza and the Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights - Gaza, placed their petition on Friday 7 July 2006, however the Court did not accept it as an urgent petition.
They asked the Court to order opening of the Crossing before thousands of Palestinians who were returning to their homes in Gaza.
They provided that the closure threatened the life and wellbeing of numerous people who were returning from medical treatment in Egypt and abroad and need hospital care.
Some of those had been operated upon abroad.
The Crossing, which is the only passage for Palestinians in and out of Gaza, is a land port in the desert and lacks any facilities necessary for human shelter or medical care.
Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights reiterates its call for immediate opening of the Crossing, and not only allowing entry of those who have been trapped into it.
It should be mentioned here that thousands of Palestinians have been denied access to proper health care in Egypt and have been made to stay in Gaza with serious health conditions owing to the closure.
This has been aggravated by that the health system in the Gaza Strip has almost become paralysed due to the destruction of power plants and blockade of fuel by Israel.
IOF have frequently used the Rafah Crossing as a tool of collective punishment of Palestinians in Gaza for years.
Al Mezan calls the international intervention to ensure that Israel, as an Occupying Power, upholds its responsibilities relevant to civilians’ and humanitarian supplies movement and access, and refrains from using such humanitarian needs to punish the population under occupation.
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