Egypt opens Gaza crossing for stranded Palestinians

Egypt opened the Rafah crossing from Sinai into Gaza on Wednesday to permit some of the 6,000 Palestinians stranded outside the coastal strip to return home, but the border remained closed to 1,000 Palestinians in Gaza seeking medical treatment in Egypt and elsewhere.

A month-long closure of the frontier following the killing of 32 Egyptian soldiers by the Ansar Beit al-Maqdis jihadi group has created crises on both sides of the border, which, according to an agreement ending last summer’s 50-day war, is meant to be open, allowing free movement in both ways.

Egypt has also destroyed tunnels beneath the Sinai-Gaza border used to smuggle commercial goods and building materials into Gaza, compounding the negative impact of Israel’s tight siege and blockade.

Cement delivery

On Tuesday Israel permitted 28 lorries, each carrying 40 tons of cement, to enter Gaza. This was the second delivery of construction material since the August 26th ceasefire which called for the opening of crossing points into Gaza and provision of construction materials.

Raed Fattouh, the Palestinian Authority official in charge of reconstruction, said, "This is the biggest delivery of cement since the war ended. But it is not enough, it is only a tiny amount."

The first delivery took place in mid-October involving 75 lorries, carrying 1,300 tons of material, comprising 15 loads of cement, 10 of metal rods, and 50 of gravel.

This transfer took place during a visit of UN secretary general Ban Ki Moon following the signing in September of the Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism brokered by UN envoy Robert Serry between the Palestinian Authority and Israel.

Deliveries were suspended after Israel demanded detailed private information on recipients of the materials in line with the terms of the deal, which has been sharply criticised by UN officials and international agencies. Palestinians said it gave Israel a veto on who received supplies.

UN Relief and Works Agency (Unwra) commissioner-general Pierre Krähenbühl has said "the process for reconstruction is proving far too slow and is largely ineffective . . . should this continue, we will reach the winter with no progress in rebuilding the homes of the many still displaced, including those still in Unwra schools. The people of Gaza deserve much better and much more than that."

Flow of supplies

Under pressure to launch reconstruction in Gaza, Mr Serry announced that a “further understanding” had been reached between the authority and Israel with the aim of facilitating the flow of supplies. “Special precautions have been taken to avoid the misuse of personal information of those wishing to access the mechanism.”

It is not clear whether the second delivery signals Israeli compliance with the understanding although Mr Serry said regular deliveries would resume, providing householders with materials to repair and rebuild homes. Refugees count for 75 per cent of Gaza’s 1.8 million citizens.

Palestinian officials estimate that 100 lorry loads a day of the entire range of building supplies are needed to reconstruct Gaza over the next three years. Israeli firms, which supply most of the materials, stand to benefit from the trade.