The Humanitarian Monitor: OPT (March 2013) – OCHA report

The civilian population in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) continues to pay the price of ongoing conflict and violence, particularly in the Gaza Strip.

In response to the firing of rockets towards Israel by Palestinian armed groups, the Israeli authorities imposed a series of restrictions on the movement of people and goods to, from and within the Gaza Strip. These included the closure for a number of days of Kerem Shalom, the only functioning crossing point for goods between Israel and the Gaza Strip; further restrictions on the movement of people across the Erez Crossing; and halving the sea area accessible to fishermen, from six to three nautical miles from the coast. These restrictions have resulted in temporary shortages of some important goods and generally undermined the rights and livelihoods of the most vulnerable.