Campaign Advocacy and demand
The opening of the Rafah crossing and to contribute to lifting the siege on Gaza
Both raised
Mr. Mohamed Hosni Mubarak of the Arab Republic of Egypt
Dr. Ahmed Nazif, the Prime Minister
Dr. Ahmed Fathi Sorour, Speaker of the People
Mr. El-Sherif, head of the Shura Council
Dr. Boutros-Ghali, President of the National Council for Human Rights
Call call call
Egyptian authorities involved in the siege of Gaza
Egypt should move to break the siege
And failure to open the Rafah crossing
24/12/2008
Profile for the crimes of the unjust siege on the Gaza Strip
The Israeli occupation forces imposed a comprehensive blockade on the Gaza Strip on 15-6-2007 a year and a half ago and rushed to the closure of all crossings and international trade and become residents of the Gaza Strip's 1.5 million and a half in a big prison, surrounded by land, air and sea, and quickly, "Israel" to repeal the code Customs on the Gaza Strip on 21-6-2007, which means ending the direct importation and the abolition of agencies and trademarks Bmistordin the Gaza Strip and Israel return to the importer resulting in the loss of customs revenue collected from direct importation.
It was the re-opening of the Sufa crossing (for the entry of construction materials) on 12/7/2007 after a month of continued closure, for humanitarian access and food, fruit and medical supplies, but the crossing does not meet the required needs as the crossing is not prepared to receive the goods and was used in the past To enter the building materials only, was also re-opening of the Kerem Shalom crossing to enter the basic material assistance only.
And accommodate the Sofa crossing and Kerem Shalom crossing from 70-100 trucks a day, note that the Gaza Strip daily need of 150 - and 200 trucks to meet the basic needs and humanitarian only now is not only the Sofa crossing after the closure of the Kerem Shalom crossing for several months.
On 19-9-2007 the Government of the mini-occupation Gaza Strip as a hostile entity and decided to take a series of actions that would tighten the blockade and closures.
With the decline and disappearance of various goods markets have become daily necessities of life become non-existent and dinner hours in the Gaza Strip since the middle of the night is less movement of people and shops closed down by the bad economic situation of scarcity of goods markets.
And the impact of political and economic situation and the difficult living in the Gaza Strip to all public and private institutions, including a severe shortage of educational books in the school, university and the lack of publications and stationery are many Palestinian families can not afford tuition for their children or even school bags and uniforms and this would not These children and young people to the fate of the deficit and dark despair and will break if they have been deprived of the completion of university education will be difficult to get jobs in the future and increase the unemployment problem.
According to statistics from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, about 20% of young people now wish to emigrate out of Palestine at the time Hajer thousands already in 2006 due to the stability of political and economic situation which is a psychological pressure prevents the stability of young people.
The economy in Gaza was indirect losses caused by the absence of income-generating opportunities, which in effect denying our economy in the Gaza Strip from the natural growth of the economy and isolated in the West Bank and its relations with Arab and foreign markets.
In the case of the continuation of the siege and closures continued since everything will collapse in the Gaza Strip and all its people will join convoys to unemployment and poverty.
Construction and contracting sector
The construction sector, construction of the most important sectors where productivity is about (22%) of energy operating in the Gaza Strip, and private-sector companies to absorb and operate a large number of engineers and technicians.
The total projects in the construction sector, construction and infrastructure that have been disabled parking and a lack of raw materials by about 370 million dollars, including projects and relief agency (UNRWA), and the United Nations Development Program, municipalities and other projects to the private sector.
Where they had stopped all construction projects and development carried out by (UNRWA), which constitute a source of income for more than 121 thousand people is a vital source of jobs in the market, Gaza suffers from unemployment and poverty, with an estimated cost of projects that were suspended due to lack of raw materials and building supplies of cement, iron about 93 million dollars.
And stopped all construction projects and urban development and private and public infrastructure projects due to the lack of construction materials is the most important projects that have development project Salah a-Din Street at a total cost estimated at 18 million dollars, as well as discontinued development project Victory Street, one of the main commercial streets in the Gaza Strip .
And construction industries damaged support for the construction sector, construction stopped all construction and factories that operate more than 3,500 workers and employees, 13 factory tiles - 250 block factory - square factory ready 30 - Alantrlok plants - 145 factory marble and granite factories and sewage pipes and work well Almnahl .
It also stopped the construction and contracting companies operating in the Gaza Strip out of 220 companies to work fully and losses incurred heavy losses due to the freezing of projects under construction and wounded damage of all equipment and machinery for these companies.
The industrial sector
Palestinian industry is a sector of the important sectors that contribute actively in the formation of GDP, contributed to this sector, including _h 17.4% in the gross domestic product during the year 1999 and then declined the figure to about 12% in 2006. Continued to retreat in 2007 - 2008 due to the increase in closures of crossings and trade restrictions on the movement of import and export and the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip.
The industrial sector affected by the embargo deprived of the gorge where the raw materials necessary for production process and also denied the export of finished products abroad and led to the closure of 95% of industrial installations, nearly 3,700 factory of the total 3900 industrial facilities, factories and other working capacity of not more than 15 % And sales of affected factories have weak purchasing power of citizens and the number of employees in the industrial sector before the embargo 35,000 workers after the embargo and the number of workers in the industrial sector up to 1500 less in various industrial sectors.
Gaza sewing
Destroying what is left of the sewing industry virtually destroyed as the continuing closure led to a great loss to the sewing factory owners up to 10 million dollars for the actual value of about one million pieces of clothing intended for summer 2007 and ready for export to the Israeli market, it will be recalled that about 600 sewing factory about 25 thousand Workers stopped work in total that 95% of the products of factories sewing the Israeli market and 5% for the domestic market, to halt the production of clothing for the local market due to the availability of fabric and sewing cost for the manufacturing process, with an estimated total losses of the Gaza sewing during the previous period about 100 million dollars due to the suspension of Factory production and the cancellation of contracts and deals agreed for the summer and winter seasons.
Note that the rate of monthly income, which was achieved by sewing factories before the siege and closure amounted to about 8 million dollars a month.
And will stop these factories to work for a longer period to the erosion of sewing machines which would double the losses of this sector and to reduce the possibility of recovery, especially in light of the exodus of many factory owners to neighboring countries and abroad.
The furniture sector
The blockade caused the destruction of the furniture industry, one of the vital industrial sectors in the Gaza Strip as a result of the accumulation of large quantities of furniture products ready for export to the West Bank and "Israel", which is estimated at 400 cargo truck at a value of about 8 million dollars, which mentioned that the production of furniture fell By 95% due to lack of raw materials for the furniture industry, causing the closure of 600 plant and Mngerp and the loss of more than 6,000 workers to stop their work as a result of this vital sector of production, with an estimated total loss of the furniture sector during the year of the siege around 36 million dollars due to the suspension of factories Production and the cancellation of contracts and deals agreed to export outside the local market.
Note that the rate of monthly income which was achieved by the furniture sector siege and closure amounted to about 3 million dollars a month.
And will stop furniture and Almnajer work for a longer period to the erosion of woodworking machines and equipment which would double the losses of this sector and to reduce the possibility of recovery, especially in light of the exodus of many factory owners to neighboring countries and abroad.
The metal and engineering industries
Caused the closure of crossings in the destruction of the remainder of the metal and engineering industries, including factories nails - wire factories - factories wire obvious - aluminum companies - lathes - blacksmithing workshops - metal furniture factories - factories solar heaters.
Was closed more than 95% of the workshops and factories operating in this area and has more than 6,000 workers are employed in the metal and engineering industries out of work and this sector is threatened with collapse due to lack of raw materials, in addition to the Israeli occupation forces worked through the Al-Aqsa Intifada The destruction of hundreds of factories and workshops in full during the past years by shelling and bombing of dredging were many facilities for several times.
Sector importers and traders
One year after the suffocating siege and after the destruction of all productive sectors the commercial sector is about to collapse as a result of the severe shortage of goods available in markets and shops near the close, traders and importers feel despair of the arrival of goods blocked at Israeli ports has become traders and importers Palestinians in the Gaza Strip The brink of bankruptcy due to the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip.
Note that the number of items that are to the Gaza Strip since the imposition of the embargo no later than 20 species of the most basic foodstuffs and medical supplies for more than the 9000 class were received through various border crossings before the imposition of the embargo.
After the state of despair that hit importers and conviction to enter their goods in the near future I have decided to raise the issue of the Israeli High Court of Justice, through the Chamber of Commerce in order to introduce their goods to Gaza, which have not been able to introduce throughout the year and a half due to the closure of crossings and the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip.
It is noteworthy that the number of containers in the Israeli side an estimated 1,500 containers are in port warehouses and stores, particularly outside the port with the knowledge that some goods bearing the date of validity and is about to expire and a large part of these goods suffered damage due to bad storage.
Importers hope that this issue be crowned with success, to halt the losses incurred by importers and freight charges flooring store and the freezing of funds in the goods for one year continuously.
The importer has 70 top importers to raise the issue and the number of containers owned by more than 600 containers present in the Israeli port warehouses and stores in different districts especially in "Israel" and the West Bank.
The Chamber of Commerce is now carrying out a new inventory of all imported goods for importers and businessmen are seeking views with the Chamber of Commerce to introduce many of these goods to the Gaza Strip and end means importers and businessmen continued for a year and a half.
Tourism sector
Tourism plays an important and prominent role in the economies of most countries in the world, these countries depend heavily as an important source of national income.
In the Gaza Strip as a result of the embargo has hit the tourism sector and almost total paralysis companies and offices, travel and tourism of the 39 companies and the Office of bankruptcy by the closures and loss of freedom of travel and Umrah season for two years 2007 -2008 and the difficulty of the pilgrimage season.
The season of pilgrimage in 2008 and owners of offices do not know what to do with the continued siege and closure, and hurt tourism and hotel owners of the 12 tourist hotel with 423 room ready to receive guests and the occupancy rate fell to zero due to the closure of crossings and affected the tourist restaurants of the 25 restaurant and tourism are all threatened with closure due to cover current expenses, which resulted in a daily loss of more than 500 workers to work in tourist facilities.
And stopped work on the draft Almovmbk establishing a hotel, which is implemented by the company in the Gaza Nursery tourism projects is Almovmbk Hotel, which contain 250 rooms in addition to services and other facilities of the most important tourist investment projects in the provinces of Gaza and the cost to create about 35 million dollars and was scheduled to open hotel in 2006 As a result of the closures were postponed the opening to complete the final equipment and the hotel is ready, or 97%, and was supposed to be absorbed more than 300 staff and workers in the hotel in the first stage of opening.
As well as stop the project, carried out by the chalets Nursery Company, which consists of 160 chalet on the shore of the Sea of Gaza in the area opposite the hotel at an estimated cost of $ 9 million.
The siege led to the loss of investment opportunities in the development of tourism and the flight of foreign and domestic investments abroad and to stop domestic tourism between the West Bank and Gaza Strip and the halt of tourism from the Palestinian Diaspora in Arab countries and abroad.
Food industry
Food factories operating in the Gaza Strip since the closure of crossings production capacity of no more than 30% of the total energy production as a result of the recession in the commercial markets and the inability to export products of the West Bank and abroad as a result of the blockade.
It is noteworthy that the three largest soft drinks factories employing over 900 workers stopped work fully into force because of (CO2) as soda does not allow the introduction of the Israeli occupation forces this article to produce soft drinks and three months after the complete cessation of work for these plants and their rejection by the Israeli attempts and all calls for the introduction of soda for the Gaza Strip.
And manufacturers and managed in cooperation with local experts and academics in the field of chemistry and food industries to reach a substitute for substance and soda factories able to return to production, but not at full capacity after the entry into force have been some other raw materials, which led to the suspension of part of some lines of production in these factories.
The number of factories and food industries 80 plant used to operate more than 2,500 workers prior to the imposition of the blockade on the Gaza Strip.
The estimated total direct losses to the agricultural sector during the previous period about 24 million dollars at 2 million dollars a month due to the suspension of factory production and the inability to export products of the West Bank and abroad.
Agriculture sector
Caused the destruction of the continued closure of crossings seasons export crops and caused the farmers suffered heavy losses due to inability to export their products in export seasons and was more than 80% of crops damaged by not allowing agricultural medicines, fertilizers, seeds, pesticides and nylon used in the agricultural bathrooms.
We will lose more than 40 thousand workers employed in the agricultural sector work in the event of continuing the blockade and closures, which lead to the failure of successive agricultural seasons and the loss of Palestinian farmer for many European markets, Arabic and, in which distinguished and the Palestinian demand for the product over the past years.