Gaza Situation Report

Dated June 20, OCHA reports:

Crossing points into Gaza remain largely closed.The re-opening of Karni crossing vital to prevent general food shortages is expected within 2-4 weeks. UNRWA wheat flour reserves 10 days, and WFP food reserves 7 days, unless normal imports are resumed. Seven truckloads of food (WFP) and 3 trucks of medical supplies (ICRC/WHO) entered Gaza through Kerem Shalom on 19 June.

The Gaza Strip has been relatively calm since 15 June. The Ministry of Health reports 135 deceased and 487 injured as a result of fighting. These are official numbers. Independent estimates are higher. There are intermittent reports of extrajudicial killings raising concerns about violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.

More in the report.

Alvaro de Soto's end of mission report

Dated may 2007, the end of mission report of the Under Secretary General United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process is worth a read. Key points for me are:

• the Gaza disengagement process (paragraphs 8 to 22)
• The role of the Quartet in the current crisis (following election of Hamas)
• The value of the UN as the guardian of international law and not as a political actor (paragraphs 105 to 114)

Crisis in Gaza

What future for Gaza?

The humanitarian situation in the Strip of Gaza has been deteriorating as a result of continued Israeli control of borders, trade, entry into Gaza and of the suspension of international aid to the Palestinian National Authority following the election of Hamas last January.

The bloody fighting between Hamas and Fatah movement, which has peaked with Hamas’ complete control of the Gaza Strip by its military wing—Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades, has taken the lives of 146 Palestinians (36 of them are civilians), including 5 children and 8 women, and has wounded at least 700 others according to the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights.

With Israel closing all border crossings with the Strip, Gaza being defined as a hostile entity, its whole population seen as allied to Hamas, it is expected that the humanitarian situation will further deteriorate.

Sailing a boat to Gaza

Sailing a boat to Gaza or challenging Israel's claim that they no longer occupy Gaza.

For the second anniversary of Israel's withdrawal from Gaza, Greta Berlin, a 66 years old businesswoman from Los Angeles, USA, is one of the many people organizing an unusual project: sailing to Gaza. The idea which sprang last October is a political as well as humanitarian decision - Greta Berlin says.

The journey will begin in Alexandria or Cyprus toward the end of this summer. 50 to 80 of men and women, many over 50, will embark on a boat called FREE GAZA. Their mission states:" We tried to enter Palestine by ground. We tried to enter by air. Now we are going to go by sea."

Today the sardines broke the blockade

In spite of the Israeli restrictions to fish only up to 6 nautical miles off the Gaza coast, sardines this season made their way up to fishermen nets. Joy in Gaza.

The article dated May, 11th, is by Yousef Alhelou, a freelance Palestinian journalist based in Gaza, who can be contacted at ydamadan@hotmail.com.

Gaza Fishing Industry in Danger

18 April 2007 - the latest OCHA report looks at the economic, social and environmental impact of Israeli restrictions on the fishing industry. Key observations include:

• There is a need for an immediate increase in the fishing range beyond the current 6 nautical miles;
• If fishing range restrictions continue, future fishing stocks will be threatened;
• The fishing industry faces long term decline: It generated over $10 million in revenue pre-Intifada; today it brings in less than half this amount.
• Fishermen and those dependent on the industry for their livelihoods are moving from self reliance to dependence on food aid and job creation schemes.

• April is peak season for many migrating fish in the Mediterranean.
• Without an easing of fishing restrictions, Gazans will lose up to 70% of their annual catch.

Implementation of the Agreement on Movement and Acess (AMA)

"In one of many reports and accounts of economic life in the Gaza Strip that I have recently read, I was struck by a description of an old man standing on the beach in Gaza throwing his oranges into the sea. The description leapt out at me because it was this very same scene I myself witnessed some 21 years ago during my very first visit to the territory. It was the summer of 1985 and I was taken on a tour of Gaza by a friend named Alya. As we drove along Gaza's coastal road I saw an elderly Palestinian man standing at the shoreline with some boxes of oranges next to him. I was puzzled by this and asked Alya to stop the car. One by one, the elderly Palestinian took an orange and threw it into the water. His was not an action of playfulness but of pain and regret. His movements were slow and labored as if the weight of each orange was more than he could bear. I asked my friend why he was doing this and she explained that he was prevented from exporting his oranges to Israel and rather than watch them rot in his orchards, the old man chose to cast them into the sea. I have never forgotten this scene and the impact it had on me." by Sara Roy, Senior Research Scholar at the Centre for Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard.

Are Gazans still throwing their oranges into the sea?

In the period going from 21 March to 03 April 2007, the UN report on the implementation of the Agreement on Movement and Acess (AMA)* notes that: no commercial goods went through Rafah (the crossing point for exports to Egypt); Karni, the primary crossing point for commercial goods into and out of Gaza, was open for imports and exports on all schedules working days, although actual opering hours varied between 3 hours and 8,5 hours (i.e. 43% of schedules operating hours) and the number of trucks importing goods into Gaza exceeded that of exporting goods (p6). There were no operations at Seaport and Airport - still closed.

*concerned with the movement of Palestinians and with the traffic of commercial goods into and out of Gaza.

Gaza Strip after the Disengagement

I remember some Palestinians felt the Gaza disengagement plan was a good thing. It is true that prior to the disengagement, internal movement was almost impossible within the Gaza Strip. In Al Mawasi, for instance, in the south of the Strip, 5,000 people, mostly fishers, farmers and their families, were not allowed to move, stuck between the settlement and the sea with no access to fishing and no markets for goods. The area was controlled by a check point through which access was almost impossible.

What has changed since for the Gazans...This is from B'tselem website:

"In September 2005, Israel completed the " Gaza disengagement plan" that had been approved by the government and the Knesset. The two primary components of the plan were dismantling of the Gaza settlements and moving the settlers to Israeli territory, and removal of all IDF forces from the area. After the plan was completed, Israel issued an order declaring the end of the military government in the Gaza Strip, and claimed that it was no longer responsible for ensuring the proper functioning of life there. However, Israel continued to control the air and sea space, movement between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank (also via neighboring countries), the population registry, family unification, and the crossing of goods to and from Gaza . Also, residents of the Gaza Strip rely solely on Israel for its supply of fuel, electricity, and gas. Until 28 June 2006, an independent electric-power station operated in the Gaza Strip, producing about one-half of the electricity needed by the residents in the Strip. The station relied completely on fuel and gas from Israel. On 28 June, Israel bombed the electric-power station. Since then, residents of the Gaza Strip have relied completely on Israel for their electricity.

The army's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and dismantlement of the settlements resulted in appreciable improvement in the freedom of movement of Palestinians within the Strip, and much land was made available to the Palestinian Authority. Also, the Palestinian Authority was given control over the Rafah crossing, through which residents of the Gaza Strip holding Palestinian identity cards are free to cross to and from Egypt , provided the crossing is open, without Israel 's approval. However, Israel retained the power to compel the Palestinian Authority to close the Rafah crossing. Israel exercised this power following the abduction of Cpl. Gilad Shalit, on 26 June 2006.

Other than the improvement and benefit mentioned above, the disengagement did not lead to any improvement in the living conditions of the area's residents, and Israel continues to violate their rights by its various acts and omissions.

Israel 's frequent closing of the crossings between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank severely infringed the right of Gazans to work and to adequate living conditions. They also made it harder for Gazan exporters to compete and develop their businesses, and led to a significant drop in the availability of basic goods and medicines and to a sharp increase in their prices. Israel 's decision to drastically curtail the number of Gazans allowed to work in Israel left many families without a source of livelihood. As a result, forty percent of the work force in Gaza is unemployed. Israel froze, following the establishment of the Hamas government, the transfer to the PA of tax moneys it collected for it. This action prevents the payment of salaries to public employees and aggravates the already bad economic condition. Eighty percent of the residents of the Gaza Strip live under the poverty line.

The right to family life in the Gaza Strip, too, has not improved since disengagement. Families that are split, with some members, spouses included, living in the Gaza Strip and others in the West Bank, have suffered from prolonged separation as a result of Israel's absolute prohibition on Palestinian's traveling from the one area to the other, and the sweeping restrictions on crossing via Egypt and Jordan. In addition, the Knesset enacted a statute prohibiting family unification of Palestinians from the Occupied Territories with Israeli citizens and residents, and Israel does not allow its citizens and residents who are married to Gazans to enter the Strip to visit their families. "

The article continues..

Control of the territorial waters

From B'tselem, The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories.

"While there is no fence along Gaza 's coastline, residents do not have open access to the sea. Palestinians wanting to go to sea need to request a permit from Israel . Those who obtain a permit are not allowed to sail far from shore. Anyone who violates the prohibition puts his life at risk: in the past, Israeli patrol boats have fired at boats that exceeded the maximum distance allowed. Israel 's Navy patrols the waters and thwarts attempts to enter or leave Gaza by sea.

In the Interim Agreement, signed by Israel and the PLO as part of the Oslo peace process, Israel undertook to allow fishing boats from Gaza to go some twenty nautical miles (about thirty-seven kilometers) from the coastline (except for a few areas, to which they were prohibited entry). However, Israel did not in fact issue permits to all applicants, and allowed fishing up to a distance of no more than ten nautical miles. Following implementation of the disengagement plan, Israel reduced the fishing area even more, and since the abduction of Cpl. Shalit, on 25 June 2006, fishermen have not been allowed to go further than three nautical miles from shore. As a result, the fishing sector in Gaza , which provides a livelihood to many Gazan families and is an important source of food for Gazans, suffered a harsh blow.

In the agreements signed by the parties since the beginning of the Oslo peace process, the sides repeatedly agreed to work toward building and operating a seaport in Gaza . In the summer of 2000, infrastructure work began to build the port, but in October of that year Israel bombed the construction site in response to the killing of two soldiers in Ramallah by Palestinians. As a result, the donor states ceased funding the project, and no work has been done on the seaport since then. In the AMA , of November 2005, Israel agreed to allow construction of the port. Moreover, in order to assure that foreign donors and investors would not be deterred from investing in the project, Israel undertook to guarantee that it would not again interfere with the operation of the port and to cooperate in establishing the security and other relevant arrangements which would need to be made prior to the opening of the port. To date, no action has been taken in this matter. "

Note of the week

"Four Israeli military boats opened fire and rounded up 14 Palestinian fishing boats in Rafah and forced them to sail towards deeper waters. IDF vessels tied the boats and ordered the fishermen to jump in the water and swim individually towards the military ships. A total of 54 Palestinian fishermen were interrogated before later being released while two others were arrested. "

source: OCHA, weekly report 14 March- 20 March 2007 (OCHA is the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs)

Weekly report+News Footage

OCHA reports that on the week of March 7th-13th 2007:

• two Palestinian fishermen were injured when Israeli Defence Force (IDF) gunboats opened fire at three fishing boats in Rafah.
• The IDF opened fire a total of eight times at Palestinians either from the border fence or out at sea.
  

This reminded me of a ICRC news footage on Rafah fishermen struggle for survival. The footage which is worth taking a look at includes an interview of Nizar Ayash, Representative of Fisherman’s Union which summarises well Gazan fishers' problems:
"First, one of the major problems is marketing the fish, because it is forbidden to sell the fish in other Palestinian markets. Second is the limited fishing zone, just 38 kilometres along the beaches of Gaza Strip. Third is the fact that the Israeli Navy regularly shoots at the fishermen when they are out at sea."

Fishing is inherited in Gaza

"Fishing is inherited in Gaza. I grew up knowing nothing else. I can be nothing but a fisherman," Kahlout says in an article posted on IRIN webiste on Sept. 2006 recalling the long tradition of fishing in Gaza.

There are 2,500 registered fishers in the Strip of Gaza and a further 2,500 people employed in the fishing industry (e.g. fish marketing, boat services, boat repair and maintenance). Out of the 1,4 million Palestinians living in the Strip, it is estimated that approximately 35,000 people rely on the fishing industry as a source of food or income.

The fisheries sector is relatively small compared to the major fisheries of neighbouring countries. Yet, for the economy of Gaza (characterised by a high unemployment rate, a severe shortage of job opportunities, and a lack of natural resources), the fisheries sector has been and could be a significant source of high protein food, employment, income and foreign exchange earnings.

Yet fishing has been subject to restrictions and bans by Israel which "(...) significantly scaled down the amount, size, and variety of fish that fishermen can catch," Tareq Saqer, Director General of Fish Resources in the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture, says.

Saqer says that the "unfair restrictions" placed on Palestinian fishermen cost the fishing sector millions of dollars in fishing equipment destroyed by Israeli naval forces in addition to millions more in lost income from fish sales.

[More on restrictions on to the IRIN website article. IRIN stands for Integrated Regional Information Networks. It is part of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, but its services are editorially independent.]

A fishy watch

Jon Elmer, in this article Israelis Keep a Fishy Watch dated February 14th 2007, describes the situation of the fishing industry in the Strip of Gaza highlighting its importance to Gaza's 1.5 million population.

If there is not a drastic change in Israeli-imposed ban on Gaza's fishermen, the entire fishing industry will have collapsed by the end of 2007, warns Palestinian National Authority (PNA) Department of Fisheries. Alarming statement considering that the fishing industry is an important source of proteins and employment in Gaza.

The report by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) due to be released this month proves the PNA Department of Fisheries right. The report illustrates how restrictions on trade and movement experienced over 2006 have led to the progressive fragmentation of the economy, dragging previously self-reliant sectors of society such as fishermen, but also traders and small shop owners, into poverty and debt.

23 Feb. 07: IDF prohibits fishing off Gaza coast and abuse fishermen

In September 2005, Israel completed its Gaza disengagement plan and declared the end of the military government in the Gaza Strip. Yet Israel continues to forbid fishers to sail off the coast of Gaza and occasionally shoots at Palestinian fishers.

Lacking other source of employment, some fishers take the risk and go to sea. In a press release date 23 february 2007, B’Tselem, the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, tells the story of some of them including of 'Adnan al-Badwil who had his fishing boat gunfired by the Israeli Defence Force (IDF).

Previously self-reliant sectors of society have fallen into poverty and debt

A report by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) due to be released this month illustrates how restrictions on trade and movement experienced over 2006 have led to the progressive fragmentation of the economy, dragging previously self-reliant sectors of society (farmers, workers, fishermen, traders and small shop owners) into poverty and debt.

Gaza relies almost entirely on imported food, thus any closure of the Karni commercial crossing has a direct impact on the availability and price of basic commodities. The stagnation of trade experienced in 2006 drastically affected employment and income opportunities throughout the Gaza Strip leading to a serious rise in poverty.

Agreed documents on movement and access from and to Gaza

dated 15 Nov 2005, the Agreement is still in vigor - the UK International Development Committee, representing British Members of Parliament (MPs), published on 31st January 2007, stresses the need for its implementation.

"To promote peaceful economic development and improve the humanitarian situation on the ground, the following agreement has been reached. It represents the commitments of the Government of Israel (GoI) and the Palestinian Authority (PA). Its implementation and further elaboration will be assisted by the Quartet Special Envoy for Disengagement and his staff and/or the United States Security Coordinator (USSC) and his staff.

1. Rafah
The parties have agreed to the attached statement of principles. Rafah will be opened as soon as it is ready to operate at an international standard in accordance with the specifications of this agreement and as soon as the 3rd party is on site, with a target date of November 25.

2. Crossing Points
The parties have agreed that:
The passages will operate continuously. On an urgent basis, Israel will permit the export of all agricultural products from Gaza during this 2005 harvest season.
The new and additional scanner will be installed and fully operational by December 31. At that time, the number of export trucks per day to be processed through Karni will reach 150, and 400 by end-2006. A common management system will be adopted by both parties.
In addition to the number of trucks above, Israel will permit export of agricultural produce from Gaza and will facilitate its speedy exit and onward movement so that quality and freshness can be maintained. Israel will ensure the continued opportunity to export.

To enhance operation, the parties agree that:
· When a new generation of x-ray equipment able to scan trailers as well as containers becomes available it will be used. Once it arrives in the country, testing will also be carried out with the assistance of the Quartet Special Envoy.
· The USSC will ensure continuing consultation, with unresolved implementation issues to be discussed as needed with the parties. The PA will ensure that the passages will be protected on the Palestinian side of the border and will train and upgrade the management of all crossings to ensure efficiency and effectiveness.
· The PA will establish, without delay, a unified system of border management.
· The management system that has been developed for Karni should, with suitable local variations, be adapted to the passages at Erez and Kerem Shalom. Israel also undertakes to put in place similar arrangements as appropriate that will make West Bank passages fully operational as soon as possible. A bilateral committee, with participation as needed of the Quartet Special Envoy and/or the USSC, will develop operational procedures for those passages.

3. Link between Gaza and the West Bank
Israel will allow the passage of convoys to facilitate the movements of goods and persons.

Specifically:
· Establish bus convoys by December 15.
· Establish truck convoys by January 15.
· Work out detailed implementation arrangements in a bilateral committee of the GoI and PA with participation as needed from the Quartet team and the USSC.

It is understood that security is a prime and continuing concern for Israel and that appropriate arrangements to ensure security will be adopted.

4. Movement within the West Bank
Consistent with Israel's security needs, to facilitate movement of people and goods within the West Bank and to minimize disruption to Palestinian lives, the ongoing work between Israel and the U.S. to establish an agreed list of obstacles to movement and develop a plan to reduce them to the maximum extent possible will be accelerated so that the work can be completed by December 31.

5. Gaza Seaport
Construction of a seaport can commence. The GoI will undertake to assure donors that it will not interfere with operation of the port. The parties will establish a U.S.-led tripartite committee to develop security and other relevant arrangements for the port prior to its opening. The 3rd party model to be used at Rafah will provide the basis for this work.

6. Airport
The parties agree on the importance of the airport. Discussions will continue on the issues of security arrangements, construction, and operation."

UK International Development Committee on Development Assistance in the Opt

The International Development Committee, representing British Members of Parliament (MPs) from the three main parties (Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrats), published on 31st January 2007
a report on Development Assistance and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

On fishing, the report quotes the Press Release of the World Food Programme - Gaza Economy on the Brink of Collapse - (dated 2 September 2006 - see posting below), which describes the present situation of fisheries in Gaza. The example of the Gaza greenhouse project and the unfulfilled potential this had, is described as an example of the fragility of the Palestinian economy under the current restrictions on movement and access.

The more news-worthy aspect of the report is the request to the European Union (EU) to ensure that Palestinian products are not being unfairly treated by Israel and the call for measures to be put in place to make the Association Agreement effective.

Most UK newspapers have discussed the report (FT, Guardian, Independent) as it advocates that the UK should urge the EU to use the Association Agreement with Israel as a lever for change and consider suspending the Agreement until there are further improvements in access arrangements.

As one of the first steps, the report highlights the need to implement the Agreement on Movement and Access signed in November 2005.

Although Parliamentary, the report does not necessarily affect British foreign policy directly. Still, it highlights the debates discussed at government level regarding the development assistance policy being implemented by the UK and other donors in the occupied Palestinian territory.

[Thanks to Claudia for analysis and information]

There is no more smell of fish

From the World Food Programme, Press Release, Gaza Economy on the Brink of Collapse, 2 September 2006:

"The Gazan economy is collapsing and there is no trust for the future, no investment and no hope...There is now a one-month stock of food in densely populated Gaza which relies on external food shipments through border checkpoints which have been periodically closed by Israel. Infrastructure is also crippled while industries which have formed the backbone of the territory's economy, mainly farming and fishing are in sharp decline. There is no more grain in the four major silos of the four major mills, and even if we are providing food to some of the needy in Gaza, that is 15-16% of the population, the trade has completely collapsed. Since June no fishing is allowed at all and in fact you come to the fishing port and there is no smell of fish. This puts out of work about 35,000 people who were living from the fishing industry." (bold letters mine)

Gaza fishermen

These are pictures found on the BBC website.

Gaza total fishing catch

Total fishing catch in tonnes month by month from June 2005 to November 2006 (p13)