Gaza ministry condemns Rafah border closure

The Palestinian Ministry of Interior Affairs in Gaza has warned against a humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip, following the closure of the Rafah border crossing by the Egyptian military on July 5.   In a letter to international human rights organisations, the ministry said the people of Gaza were suffering from an extreme deterioration in living conditions since Egypt closed the crossing, days after the overthrow of Egypt's former President Mohammed Morsi. Thousands of Palestinians attempting to reach families, travelling in or out of Gaza for medical aid or for study purposes were left stranded on either side of the border. The Rafah crossing with Egypt is the only route connecting the strip to the rest of the world and is a vital transfer point for goods including food and medicine. Since Egypt closed the network of tunnels along its border with Gaza, residents have faced severe fuel shortages. The Ministry of Transportation said the inability of Palestinians to smuggle petroleum products through the tunnels has worsened the suffering for around 70,000 drivers in Gaza. Egypt re-opened the border on July 10; however working hours of the security personnel were reduced from nine hours to four hours daily.  A daily number of 150 people are allowed to pass through with a backlog of 3000 people still stranded in Egypt. Travel through the border was limited to Arabs, foreigners and Palestinians ?with foreign nationalities, in addition to a limited number Palestinian patients receiving treatment ?outside Gaza Strip.? In its statement, the ministry said this was a violation of international rights to freedom of movement.  It warned that a prolonged closure would result in a potential human disaster occurring in the narrow strip, which has witnessed an Israeli blockade since 2007.