Creation date: 10/04/2017 Feedback: ochaimu@un.org www.ochaopt.org www.ochaopt.org/gazacrossing.aspx

Information on the status of border crossings and numbers of truckloads is based on data provided by the Gaza Ministry of National Economy, UNRWA, UNSCO and Paltrade (Palestine Trade Center).

MOVEMENT AND ACCESS OF PEOPLE*

RAFAH CROSSING

GAZA CROSSINGS’ OPERATIONS STATUS: MONTHLY UPDATE -MARCH 2017

EXIT OF GOODS

BACKGROUND

¹¹º»

¹

¹¹º»

EGYPT

Mediter

ranean

Sea

Rafah

Jabalya

Gaza City

Ash Shuja’iyeh

Khuza’a

Khan Yunis

Beit Hanoun

Beit Lahiya

Deir al B alah

ISRAEL

GAZA

Erez

Rafah

Kerem Shalom

Armistice Declaration LineInternational Boundary

Crossing Point

Closed Crossing Point

5 Km

21

14

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

300

389

Sufa

KarniNahal Oz

* The figures reflect number of times people crossed, but not the actual number of people crossing.

MOVEMENT OF GOODS FROM AND INTO GAZA

EREZ CROSSING• Exceptionally opened for 3 days in both directions, and one day for exits from Gaza.• A total of 4,191 people crossed in both directions, compared to a monthly average of 3,521 in

2016.• Since October 2014, the crossing has been closed on all but 93 days. It was partially open on 32

days in 2015, on 44 days in 2016 and on 10 days in 2017.• At least 20,000 Palestinians are pre-registered and waiting to cross into Egypt, according to the

de facto authorities in Gaza.• Prior to the closure of the crossing in 2014, a monthly average of 4,000 people crossed Rafah for

health-related reasons according to WHO.

• Kerem Shalom crossing, which is currently the only regular commercial route between Gaza and the external world, operated for exiting goods on 18 out of 27 scheduled days.

• 372 truckloads of goods exited Gaza, a 109% increase compared to the monthly average in 2016, but 61% below the monthly average in the first half of 2007 (before the blockade).

• Goods exited to the following destinations:- 313 truckloads of agricultural products, 3 of clothing and 1 of furniture, to the WestBank;- 42 truckloads of agricultural products and scrap aluminum to Israel; and- 13 truckloads of agricultural products to international markets.

Truckloads exiting Gaza

RAFAH: Crossings in both directionsEREZ: Crossings into Israel

• Opened on all 27 scheduled days.• On 26 March 2017, citing security concerns, the de facto authorities in Gaza temporarily closed

‘Arba-’Arba checkpoint, which controls access to Erez Crossing between Gaza and Israel.• According to WHO, 86 patients approved by Israel were not allowed to leave through ‘Arba-’Arba.• The overall number of crossings into Israel was 46% below the 2016 monthly average of crossings,

and the lowest since January 2015.• Of the applications for exit permits for UN national staff in March, 19% were denied and 40% were

pending as of the end of the month. • The crossing is accessible only to Israeli-issued permit holders, primarily medical and other

humanitarian cases, merchants, internationals and aid workers.• Erez crossing is open from Sunday - Friday. Since February 2017, exit of Palestinians is not allowed

on Fridays, except for humanitarian cases.

25,813

15,712

369 1,7595,640

13,899

21,178

34,992

25,187

8,141

2,393 3,5215,719

2,900

2006 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Jan Feb

Monthly Average 2017 Monthly Total

Longstanding restrictions on the movement of people and goods to and from Gaza have under-mined the living conditions of 1.9 million Palestinians in that area. Many of the current restrictions, originally imposed by Israel in the early 1990s, were intensified after June 2007, following the Hamas takeover of Gaza and the imposition of a blockade. These restrictions continue to reduce access to livelihoods, essential services and housing, disrupt family life, and undermine people’s hopes for a secure and prosperous future. The situation has been compounded by the restrictions imposed since June 2013 by the Egyptian authorities at Rafah Crossing, which had become the main crossing point used by Palestinian passengers in the Gaza Strip, given the above restrictions on the Israeli-controlled crossings.

1st ½ 2nd ½2007

Mar

4,191

43,440

31,424

13,45412,611

1,857 2,175 2,482 3,337 4,376 4,919 5,756 7,121

15,027 13,1879,687 8,239

2006 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Jan20052004 Feb

Monthly Average 2017 Monthly Total

Mar

ch 20

06 - I

srael

stops

allow

ing

Pales

tinian

wor

kers

into

Isra

el

June

2007

- Gaz

a bloc

kade

1st ½ 2nd ½2007

7,052

Mar

777

417

961

17 3 2 18 23 21 15 19113

178

281341 372

2006 1st ½ 2nd ½2007

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Jan Feb2005

2017 Monthly Total Monthly Average

Mar

Creation date: 10/04/2017 Feedback: ochaimu@un.org www.ochaopt.org www.ochaopt.org/gazacrossing.aspx

Information on the status of border crossings and numbers of truckloads is based on data provided by the Gaza Ministry of National Economy, UNRWA, UNSCO and Paltrade (Palestine Trade Center).

FUEL IMPORTS INTO GAZA

FUEL IMPORTS

Kerem Shalom remained the only crossing available for the import of fuel, allowing the entry of:• 17.8 million litres of petrol and diesel;• 9.6 million litres of industrial fuel for the Gaza

Power Plant; and• 5,585 tons of cooking gas, which represents

around 74% of the estimated needs of around 7,500 tons, according to the Gas Station Owners’ Association.

GAZA CROSSINGS’ OPERATIONS STATUS: MONTHLY UPDATE - MARCH 2017

ENTRY OF GOODS

* Kerem Shalom crossing is open Sunday - Thursday.

UNRWA

GRM** projects

2,423 205

* Primarily includes cement and steel bars; aggregates were removed from the “dual use” list in 2015. ** The GRM is a temporary agreement between the Government of Palestine and the Government of Israel, brokered by the United Nations in September 2014, to allow the entry of items defined by Israel as having a “dual” civilian/military use. These include building materials for repairs and reconstruction of private housing and infrastructure damaged or destroyed during hostilities, as well as new projects not related to hostilities.

17

UNDPPrivate sector through Rafah crossing

33

Entry of restricted basic construction materials in Marchper sector (in truckloads)*

Goods imported in March 2017(in truckloads)

• Kerem Shalom crossing between Gaza and Israel operated on 21 out of 27* scheduled days.

• Rafah commercial crossing exceptionally opened on three days, allowing 273 truckloads of various materials to enter Gaza.

• The overall volume of imports this month increased by 12%, compared to the monthly average in 2016 and is nearly the same as in the first half of 2007 (before the blockade).

• 2% of the truckloads of goods that entered in March were designated for humanitari-an aid agencies.

• 7,544 truckloads carried construction materials, constituting the largest category of imports (61%).

• 35% of truckloads with construction materials carried items defined by Israel as ‘dual use’ items, approved via the Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism (GRM).

• Karni, Sufa and Nahal Oz crossings with Israel remained closed.

** Figures exclude truckloads carrying fuel.

Truckloads entering Gaza**

5 16

9,290

6,285

11,176

2,557 2,236 2,5933,305

4,1074,815

5,652

4,307

7,890

10,038

11,514

7,817

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Jan2005 2006 Feb

11,278

Mar

Monthly Average 2017 Monthly Total

1st ½ 2nd ½2007

2,294 2,0733,090 3,275 3,427

3,9413,089

5,700

9,100

12,255

8,457

193 643 350962

1,504 1,712 1,2182,198

1,024231 287

11,994

295

(in truckloads)Humanitarian vs. commercial imports

Monthly Average 2017 Monthly Total 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Jan Feb

CommercialHumanitarian

Mar

4,866

2,678

2,118

505

407

346

121

90

89

28

15

11

Restricted Construction Materials

Human Food Products

Other Construction Materials

Industrial/Electrical Appliances

Animal Feed

Non-Edible Consumables

Hygiene/Cleaning Supplies

Agricultural Raw Materials

Packaging Applications

Education/Stationery

Medical Supplies

Livestock

4Vehicles/Transporters

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Milli

ons

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Jan Feb2017 Monthly AverageMonthly Average

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

Milli

ons

Fuel for power plantin million litres

Gasin million kilograms

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Jan Feb

Milli

ons

Monthly Average 2017 Monthly Average

Petrol (in million litres)

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Milli

ons

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Jan Feb

2017 Monthly AverageMonthly Average

Diesel(in million litres)

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Jan Feb2017 Monthly AverageMonthly Average

Mar

Mar

Mar

Mar