ICRC Report Calls For End to Israeli Blockade and Sanctions Against Gaza

Last week, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) issued a report entitled “Gaza: 1.5 Million People Trapped in Despair.” The report concludes that, because of Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip, Palestinians have been unable to rebuild their homes, cities and lives, all of which were destroyed during Israel’s 22-day offensive six months ago. The ICRC called upon Israel to lift the blockade and corresponding sanctions in order to allow building materials, health care products and other items necessary for repair and recovery into the area.

The ICRC’s report states that conditions in the Gaza Strip were deplorable even before Israel’s military assault, which began in December of 2008 and concluded in January of 2009. In October of 2007, Israel, which maintains control over Gaza’s borders, initiated a blockade that remains in place to this day. The restricted movement of people and goods led to a humanitarian situation characterized by the ICRC as “a major crisis affecting all aspects of daily life.”  The destruction wrought by the Israeli military during its offensive in Gaza would be difficult to overcome in the best of conditions.  Under such a comprehensive siege, rebuilding has, in fact, proven an impossible task for thousands.

Six months after the Israeli military pulled out of Gaza, the infrastructure remains on the brink of collapse. Emergency repairs to water and sanitation systems, meant merely as a temporary solution, have become permanent, offering Palestinians only occasional access to properly treated water.  The ICRC warns of an impending public health crisis if these systems are not adequately repaired in the near future. In order for this to happen, Israel will need to allow pipes, concrete and chemicals required for sanitation purposes to enter Gaza unimpeded.

The potential public health crisis feared by the ICRC would likely cause a total collapse of Gaza’s already crumbling health care system. Because of the blockade and the destruction wrought by Israel’s attack, hospitals are in dire need of equipment and medicine, as well as substantial repairs to buildings damaged during the incursion.  In 2009, ICRC-run medical centers have sometimes had to wait up to five months for medical equipment to pass Israeli inspections and be allowed into Gaza.  Due to these restrictions, hospitals in Gaza are under equipped to treat the seriously ill and injured, and yet Palestinians in need of such care are often denied permission by Israeli authorities to leave the Gaza Strip in order to seek treatment elsewhere.

Poverty in the Gaza Strip is rampant. A May 2008 report conducted by the ICRC found that even then, over 70% of Gazans were living in poverty. As of April 2009, unemployment had reached 44% and 96% of all industrial operations in Gaza had been shut down for lack of properly functioning equipment and adequate materials.  Malnutrition is becoming an increasingly severe problem for adults and children, with tens of thousands of children exhibiting stunted growth, vitamin deficiencies and chronic illness.  The economy has deteriorated so dramatically that the ICRC predicts that, even if imports were allowed free entry and Palestinians were permitted to export their goods and products, it would still take many years for the economy of Gaza to fully recover.

Agriculture was once an important component of Gaza’s economy, with 25% of the population earning the majority of their income from farming. The ICRC reports that thousands of trees were uprooted, hundreds of acres of farmland were destroyed and irrigation systems were devastated by Israeli military machinery during its attack. Furthermore, Israel’s imposition of a buffer zone on the Palestinian side of the fence separating the Gaza Strip from Israel has cost Palestinians 30% of the arable land in Gaza. Palestinians attempting to work this land risk being shot by Israeli soldiers guarding the border.

In its report, the ICRC calls upon Israel to end the blockade of the Gaza Strip and free the 1.5 million Palestinians trapped inside. “Israel’s right to address its legitimate security concerns must be balanced against the right of the population of Gaza to lead a normal and dignified life.” Furthermore, as the occupying power, international law compels Israel to ensure that the basic needs of Gaza’s citizens are consistently met. Emergency measures must be taken so that the Palestinians can begin to rebuild their lives, but significant and long-term policy changes, allowing the people of Gaza to prosper and live in dignity, must likewise be put in place.  Until these steps are taken, there is little hope for recovery and relief.