GAZA CITY: Dozens of truck drivers prevented goods from entering the Gaza Strip from Israel on Tuesday in a day-long protest at the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave.
The trucks belonging to Gazan businesses blocked the roads near the Kerem Shalom crossing into Israel, the main entry point for imports into Gaza, in a protest organized by private sector associations.
Nahed Shuhibar, head of the Gaza’s Private Transport Association, said more than 50 trucks were being used in the protest.
“Our message is that we have children and families who want to live,” he said.
Around 150 protesters took part in the demonstration. Many held signs condemning Israel and calling for reconciliation between rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah, which many hope could help ease conditions in Gaza.
Gaza suffers from around 40 percent unemployment and more than two-thirds of its two million residents rely on international aid, according to the United Nations.
The UN’s envoy for the Middle East peace process warned last week that the enclave was on the verge of “full collapse.”
Israel has maintained a crippling blockade on the coastal territory for a decade, while Egypt has also largely sealed its border in recent years.
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas’s secular Fatah party based in the occupied West Bank and Gaza’s Islamist rulers Hamas agreed a reconciliation deal in October, but its implementation has faltered.
Two weeks ago, private sector companies in Gaza organized a general strike to protest economic conditions in the strip.
The number of Gazan businesspeople granted Israeli permits to leave the territory has more than halved in the past year, UN figures show.
Truck protest closes Gaza border crossing
Truck protest closes Gaza border crossing
Abbas says Palestinians stand in solidarity with Jordan amid US-Iran tensions
- Palestinian president condemned Iranian attacks targeting Jordan
- Al-Aqsa Mosque has remained closed since Saturday morning as Israeli authorities declared a state of emergency
LONDON: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas expressed solidarity with Jordan during a phone call with King Abdullah II on Tuesday.
Abbas condemned the Iranian attacks targeting Jordan, reaffirming the Palestinian rejection of any assault that undermines Jordan’s sovereignty or threatens its security and stability, according to Wafa news agency.
After the military actions by the Israeli and US forces in Iran on Saturday, Iran launched suicide drones and missiles into the cities of the Arab Gulf. It also targeted US fighter jets deployed in Azraq, while some missiles struck civilian areas.
Abbas highlighted the importance of dialogue and expressed support for Arab efforts to protect Arab nations, and ensure their security against attacks that violate international law, Wafa added.
For the fourth consecutive day, Israeli forces have intensified military measures throughout the occupied West Bank, closing checkpoints and entrances to cities, towns and villages.
The Al-Aqsa Mosque in the walled city of occupied East Jerusalem has remained closed since Saturday morning, as Israeli authorities declared a state of emergency amid the conflict with Iran.
