JERUSALEM, March 8, 2018 (WAFA) – The Israeli human rights group, B’Tselem, document in a report published on Thursday several cases of Palestinian women who came to Gaza to visit family and found themselves stuck there for months away from their loved ones.
In the report titled: “No way out: Women trapped in Gaza away from their homes and partners,” B’Tselem pins the blame for this tragic situation mainly on Israel for its decades-old land, air and sea blockade, which intensified after the Islamic movement, Hamas, took over control of Gaza in 2007.
Egypt also holds part of the blame for its around-the-clock closure of Rafah crossing, which is, besides Erez crossing with Israel, Gaza’s only land exit point for its two million residents.
Rafah crossing has been continuously closed, except for few days a year, over the past five years causing heavy demand for travel and big congestion whenever it is opened. This year, it was opened for few days so far but abruptly closed due to the unstable security situation in the Egyptian Sinai desert, which travelers to and from Gaza have to pass through.
Rights groups said in the last two months hundreds of Palestinians who were encouraged when they heard the crossing will be open and made plans to travel to or from Gaza found themselves stranded on both sides of Rafah crossing or at Cairo airport after its abrupt closure awaiting Egyptian authorities’ decision to reopen it.
The B’Tselem report said most of the women, who were married to Arab nationals and have been living either in Egypt or other countries, returned to Gaza whenever the Rafah crossing was open to visit family members. They had planned to be there for few days or weeks, but found themselves stuck in Gaza for months or even years unable to return home to be with their partners and children.
“These women, who are not residents of Gaza, have no work and no source of income. They have no choice but to stay with relatives, most of whom live in poverty themselves,” said the report.
“Last year marked a decade since Israel began its cruel blockade on Gaza without taking responsibility for the extreme impact on the lives of Palestinians there,” said B’Tselem. “Israel, which controls all passage in and out of Gaza except through Rafah Crossing, must respect the right of all Palestinians from Gaza to freedom of movement. It must also respect the right of the women trapped there to family life by ending their suffering and allowing them to reunite with their loved ones.’
It said that in spite of the fact that Rafah Crossing is closed almost all year as a result of Palestinian and Egyptian decisions, “the fact that it is the only way out of Gaza is entirely the result of Israeli policy, which has barred all other forms of access – by air, by sea, or by land to Jordan via Israel, except in rare instances. Moreover, Israel is well aware of the situation at Rafah Crossing. In this state of affairs, Israel bears the primary responsibility for the fact that almost two million Palestinians – including the trapped women described here – are imprisoned in the Gaza Strip.”
M.K.
