Agreement on Movement and Access (AMA) – Thirty-fifth bi-weekly implementation report (OCHA)

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Report No. 35

Implementation of the Agreement on Movement and Access

(7-20 March 2007)

The United Nations¹ is submitting the 35th bi-weekly report on the implementation of the November 2005 Agreement on Movement and Access (AMA), covering the period 7-20 March 2007 inclusive.²

1. Overall Progress:

Rafah crossing was open for 7 days over the two-week period, the highest number of days open during any reporting period since the start of 2007. The operation of Karni continues to fall below agreements reached under the AMA and operated at similar levels (reaching 11% of the 400 truckloads of exported goods per day AMA target) compared to the previous period.

2. Changes of note since Report No. 34 (6 March):

• Rafah crossing was open for 7 days (50% of scheduled days and 27% of scheduled hours) allowing a total of 3,145 people to cross into the Gaza Strip and 7,082 people out. On 8 March an elderly Palestinian man died and nine others were injured when more than 5,000 people converged at Rafah crossing when it reopened.

• Karni crossing was open on 10 scheduled operating days³ (47% of scheduled operating hours) enabling a total of 2,546 truckloads of goods into and 532 truckloads of goods out of the Gaza Strip. In addition 1,666 truckloads of aggregates were imported representing approximately 40% of the total imports.⁴

• Sufa crossing was only open for one day out of 10 scheduled working days for the import of aggregates.

• Kerem Shalom crossing was open on 2 days (compared to three days during the previous reporting period).

• Erez crossing remains closed for more than one year to Palestinians workers entering Israel. In terms of the Palestinian movement, the crossing remains open for only traders holding special permits (an average of 329 traders crossed daily) and emergency humanitarian cases.

3. No Change since Report No. 34 (6 March):

• The number of obstacles to movement in the West Bank remained at 549. Overall this represents an increase of 164 or 40% over the baseline figure of August 2005.

• There were no reported security incidents in the areas of the crossings during the period.

Convoys between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank:

Truck convoys no discussion; implementation now more than 14 months overdue.

Bus convoys no discussion; implementation now more than 15 months overdue.

Ports:

Seaport awaiting, since November 2005, GoI assurance to donors that it will not interfere with its operation.

Airport awaiting, since November 2005, commencement of discussions.

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¹ The Office of the Quartet’s Special Envoy closed on 28 April. Since then the United Nations through the oPt OCHA office has assumed reporting responsibilities on the implementation of the AMA.

² The report draws on all available data sources for reporting including the EU-BAM, UN agencies, PA ministries, PalTrade, COGAT and the World Bank.

³ The crossing was closed on 12 March due to a strike on the Palestinian side by drivers and crossing workers. 4 Aggregates are construction materials that are primarily moved through Sufa crossing.

FULL REPORT: