Gaza crossings closed; debate over goods continues [22% of need]

Ma'an - Imports into Gaza remained below need last week, a UN report from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

.....According to the UN report, the amount constituted approximately 22 % of need, based on the pre-siege average of 2,807 trucks per week.

The limited catalog of goods by the military was also the subject of recent reports by the BBC and Israel's Haaretz newspaper. The BBC gained access to court documents confirming a limited list of goods permitted for entry into Gaza....

....."among the large range of goods currently forbidden are jam, chocolate, wood for furniture, fruit juice, textiles, and plastic toys."

Haaretz reporter Amira Hass followed up the article with one titled "Why won't Israel allow Gazans to import coriander?" that brought light to claims that "commercial interests inside Israel, and their lobbying power, were determining the permitted items."

With a high-profile court case initiated by the Israeli rights group underway, questions remain over what is and is not allowed into Gaza, and by what mechanisms the goods are judged fit for entry.

....[OCHA] noted the following "essential goods" continue to be banned: cementm paints, furniture, livestock, IT equipment, vehicles.       Full story