The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) has continued imposing a comprehensive siege on the Gaza Strip, prohibiting its population from free movement and travel.
This siege, which brings about appalling humanitarian impacts on Gazans, contradicts International Law and human rights standards, which obligate Israel (the occupying power) to guarantee the population’s life and wellbeing.
The Palestinian authorities must also take any measures within their capacity to facilitate the protection of the population.
The siege represents a measure of collective punishment as it indiscriminately restricts people's movement and access to essential services and commodities.
IOF allows only limited amounts of foodstuffs and medicines to enter Gaza.
Filed reports show that there is a serious decrease in the amounts of commodities allowed into Gaza by Israel.
On June 21, 2007, Israel froze Gaza’s Custom Code.
This procedure prevents Gazans from importing goods directly.
The cost of imports has significantly increased since then.
And on 19 September 2007, Israel declared Gaza an enemy territory and imposed stricter prohibitions on movement and access of people and goods.
These measures have had outrageous impacts on Gaza’s different aspects of life, but especially on the economy and access to food, urgent healthcare and education.
The living conditions have deteriorated in an unprecedented way, as the unemployment rate has greatly risen due to complete suspension of the construction and industrial sectors, and the setback of the commercial sector.
According to the monitoring by Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, there has been an increasing scarcity of many commodities in Gaza’s markets.
This has caused inflation in the prices of basic goods.
In some cases, even with the presence of certain commodities, traders increased their prices.
Together with the very high rates of unemployment and poverty, and the decreasing quantities of humanitarian goods entering Gaza, the population’s rights are at their lowest ever.
The inflation of prices occurs under the failure of the authorities to monitor and control the prices of basic goods and commodities.
The table below shows the accumulating increase of the prices of some basic goods.
It compares the prices before and after July 1, 2007.
The last figure in the last column shows the current price.
Al Mezan condemns IOF’s siege and emphasizes that it constitutes a form of collective punishment that amounts to a grave breach of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), most notably the Fourth Geneva Convention.
It shows a blatant disregard of civilian life and of Israel’s obligations under international law.
Al Mezan Center highlights that Gazans have been increasingly turned into poor and aid dependent as a result of this policy.
Al Mezan also asserts that the international community, notably the Contacting Parties of the Fourth Geneva Convention, must act in consistency with the legal responsibilities arising from the Convention and exert pressure on Israel to immediately lift the siege.
The Center also affirms that the deposed government in Gaza must take all the measures under its disposal to protect the population, by monitoring the prices of goods and basic commodities and ensure the adequacy of their quality.
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