Pessimists will rightly say that 2014 was the worst in memory for residents of Gaza. Optimists might say that 2014 was the first year in which there was a flicker of hope for fundamental change. Everyone will agree that 2014 was momentous for the coastal part of the Palestinian territory. Hostilities in the region escalated dramatically this year, culminating in the 50 days of fighting during Operation Protective Edge. The military operation was preceded by the kidnapping and murder of three teens in the West Bank and increased movement restrictions across the Palestinian territory.
As with the two recent military operations, Cast Lead (2008-9) and Pillar of Defense (2012), movement and access featured prominently in ceasefire negotiations, leading to some changes in policy. Travel for individuals increased in certain categories and in November, for the first time since 2007, barring limited exceptions, transit of goods from Gaza to the West Bank was permitted. Construction materials, needed to repair massive damage to private homes, businesses, and infrastructure sustained during the fighting, entered under the framework of the Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism.
Nonetheless, sweeping and indiscriminate restrictions on travel and on movement of goods between Gaza and the West Bank and Israel remained in place in 2014. Criteria for travel of people remained circumscribed to mostly humanitarian cases as well as “senior traders”, and entrance of construction materials and exit of goods was a fraction of pre-2007 levels.
In 2014, Egyptian military forces continued to destroy tunnels which had been used over the years of the closure of Gaza to smuggle goods and weapons to the Strip. Rafah Crossing, between Gaza and Egypt, saw frequent closures, leading to a sharp decline in travel in 2014 compared with recent years. From October 25 – December 20, the crossing closed to outgoing pedestrian traffic from Gaza for a record 57 days, trapping students, families and professionals prevented from transiting to third countries via Egypt or Israel. While some passengers stranded in Egypt or third countries trying to return to the Strip were permitted to transit into the territory, between October 25 and the end of 2014, the crossing only opened to outgoing traffic on three days. Egypt cited security concerns as the reason for the closures.
Highlights
Restrictions on exit of goods continue: For the first time since 2007, barring limited exceptions, Israel allowed goods to transit from Gaza for sale in the West Bank. Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon had strongly insisted on the need to maintain the ban on exit of goods from Gaza just 11 months earlier, despite the installation of a powerful scanner at the Kerem Shalom Crossing. Exit of goods to Israel, once Gaza’s primary market, remained banned and packaging requirements imposed at Kerem Shalom Crossing limited the profitability of sales for Gaza’s traders.
Restrictions on entrance of construction materials despite massive need: Basic construction materials were restricted from entering Gaza before and after the operation. A mechanism designed to allow monitored inflow of materials to meet need following extensive destruction, while preventing tunnels from being rebuilt, was introduced in September but appeared to be rendering reconstruction more costly and cumbersome than necessary while not preventing slippage of materials.
Punitive actions following rocket fire and other incidents: Throughout the year, the defense minister ordered Kerem Shalom Crossing closed on five occasions. Erez was also closed on two occasions and operated in a further limited format on an additional two occasions.
Restrictions on travel of people: In 2014, Israel continued to restrict movement of people between Gaza, Israel and the West Bank to “exceptional humanitarian cases, with an emphasis on urgent medical cases”. At the same time, as travel via Rafah continued to be impaired, increases were seen in the number of exits via Erez in all categories and some changes to the criteria for travel were introduced following the military operation.