Israel releases Gaza ban list, supplies entering gaza 25% of pre-siege levels

Ma'an – A new status quo was established for the Israeli siege on Gaza, with imports remaining seven percent above 2009 levels, as a comprehensive list of banned goods and a policy statement was released by Israel on Tuesday.

The announcement that Israel had made modifications to the land crossings, including "modifications of the infrastructure on both sides of the crossing, extending the operating hours of the crossings and augmenting the manpower," refereed to the modest increase in supplies entering Gaza, from 17 percent of pre-siege levels to 25 percent.

The number did not change for Wednesday's imports, when Israeli authorities told Gaza officials that they would partially open Gaza's southern crossing, Kerem Shalom, for the entry of a limited amount of goods.

Palestinian liaison official Raed Fattouh said 130 to 140 truckloads of goods for the commercial and agricultural sections including four trucks for the power authority would be transported through the southern terminal, along with limited quantities of domestic-use gas and industrial diesel.

The bulk goods crossing south of Gaza City, Karni, will remain closed on Wednesday, Fattouh confirmed.

After weeks of waiting, the Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories released its list of banned goods, prohibited dual use items, and goods that will be permitted entry only with Palestinian Authority permission and international inspection. The latter list includes all forms of cement, construction metals, many types of glass, resins, wood and bricks.

Rights groups, NGOs, and the international community have expressed concern over the continued restrictions on construction materials, saying in particular that the restrictions will limit the ability of individuals to re-build their homes, thousands of which remain damaged or destroyed after Israel's 2008-9 war on Gaza.

"Replacing the allowed list of items by banned list of items is a clear attempt to mislead the international demands which call for the necessity to end the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip," Director of the Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights Issam Younis said in a Wednesday statement on the list.

The COGAT statement reiterated the government position that "[t]he list of controlled items is based strictly on security considerations," and added the proviso that "[t]he list shall be updated from time to time based on security considerations."