- 50,000 tons of goods, humanitarian aid transferred to Gaza biweekly
- Israel treats thousands of Gazans in hospitals
- 133 infrastructure projects underway in Gaza
Erez Crossing, April 13 - Two hundred and fifty trucks cross from Israel into Gaza daily, Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories for the Gaza Region Col. Moshe Levy said at a briefing at Israel’s Erez crossing into Gaza on Wednesday.
That figure will approach 400 trucks a day by the end of 2011.
Israel transfers 50,000 tons of goods to Gaza every two weeks, exceeding the 40,000 Israel told Quartet on the Middle East Envoy Tony Blair it would transfer. Israel has also built new platforms for grains, wheat, raw materials and other aggregates at the Kerem Shalom border-crossing despite the fact that it is a Hamas-target, Levy added.
“With all the security concerns going on, we are still here, trying to improve the conditions [for Gazans] and trying to make things better,” said Assaf Sheli, a security coordinator at the border-crossing. A Hamas building sits just feet away from the crossing, he added.
Over the weekend, Israel was targeted with well over 100 mortars and rockets from Gaza, forcing children and families into bomb shelters.
The Erez crossing was created for the “future” so that Israel has the infrastructure to accommodate an increase in the flow of goods between Gaza and Israel, said Sheli.
In addition to accelerating the flow of construction materials to Gaza, Israel received 1,500 applications from Gazans for healthcare in Israel since the start of 2011, representing a 63 percent increase from 2010. Eighty percent of the applicants were approved.
Also, 423 tons of medicine and medical supplies were shipped in Gaza, via 538 trucks, in 2010.
The Palestinian Authority (PA) sets the priority of what goods Gaza needs and the list is sent to Israel daily. There are dozens of weekly meetings between PA and Israeli officials at Erez in order to improve the transfer of goods to Gaza.
Israel has also upped Gazan exports to the West Bank and overseas. The goods include strawberries, tomatoes, flowers, peppers and a new focus on furniture and textiles. Farmers in Gaza, for example, have established relationships with Israeli agricultural associations, Levy explained.
Israel also provides electricity and water to Gaza’s civilians. Thirty-seven educational facilities and new housing units, 14 health centers and 13 agricultural units are currently being developed in Gaza.
Israel approves these projects despite Iran-backed Hamas’ targeting and exploitation of the Israeli-Gaza crossings.Hamas prevents Israel from delivering diesel fuel to Gaza and makes it difficult for Israel to deliver items to Gaza’s civilian population.
