Over the past few months, Israel began easing restrictions on the flow of goods into Gaza. This was met with approval by UN Secretary Ban Ki-Moon during his visit to the region. Israel’s policy towards the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip is not stagnant and is always changing in response to regional security. Over this past weekend, the Israeli Cabinet voted to approve a number of measures which will create a much simpler policy towards the closure of Gaza.

The goal of the closure has always been to eliminate the flow of combatants and deny Hamas weaponry which it has, and will continue to use against Israelis and Palestinians. However, the updated policy will make the distinction between what is and what is not allowed into Gaza clearer. All goods, food products, medicine etc. will continue to enter Gaza with no restrictions. But rather than publish a list of what is allowed, the Israeli government has decided it will be simpler to have only a list of what is not allowed. This way, there is no confusion and the world can see that Israel has no intentions to deny Gazans needed goods. Again, everything that is not on the published list of banned materials (grenades and rifles etc.) will pass through any and all Israeli-operated crossings.

The policy of liberalizing the entry of civilian goods into Gaza is meant to enable the civilian population to engage in routine economic and civilian activity, while simultaneously preventing the entry of weapons and materiel that could help the Hamas terror regime to strike at Israeli citizens. Any civilian product that is not on the list of prohibited items will be allowed in.

As for “dual use” items, or goods that can be used either for civilian projects or terrorism, Israel will allow them entry to Gaza. With the help of international bodies, Israel is creating a system in which “dual use” goods such as raw metals and chemicals will be delivered with assurances from third parties that its destination is not Hamas but the people of Gaza. To ensure the safety and prosperity of the Palestinian people living in Gaza, efforts must be made to ensure that Hamas does not hijack incoming aid, which has been happening on a daily basis.

Said Robert Serry, special envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General, “This targeting [by Hamas] of NGOs, including UN partner organizations, is unacceptable, violating accepted norms of a free society and harming the Palestinian people. The de facto authorities must cease such repressive steps and allow the re-opening of these civil society institutions without delay.”

The policy of closure on the Gaza Strip is anchored in international rules of law and treaties (including the Geneva Convention and the San Remo Manual on International Law Applicable to Armed Conflicts at Sea). The policy was also authorized by the Israel Supreme Court, an independent body not tied to politics of the ruling government.

Restrictions on the entry of goods into the Gaza Strip is now at a bare minimum, in which items banned are comparable to what one is not allowed to bring to the United States from Canada. Make no mistake, Israel’s sanctions against Hamas authorities will continue to deny them weapons to use against innocent civilians, both Israeli and Palestinian. The people of Gaza are not our enemy, and we hope that this updated policy will strength Palestinians while weakening Hamas, which refuses to recognize Israel’s right to exist.

4 people like this post.

Unlike

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.