LATEST GAZA SITUATION REPORT WITH CROSSINGS PHOTOS

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). 13/07/07.
SUMMARY POINTS
1. Humanitarian and commercial imports (through Kerem Shalom and Sufa) into the Gaza Strip continued to meet most of the basic food needs of the population, despite difficulties encountered at the crossings. However, shortages of a broader range of food commodities continued.
2. Critically, the inability to import raw materials to support Gaza’s industrial and construction sectors, compounded by the abrupt loss of export outlets, has caused some Gaza 65,000 workers to be laid off (with up to 450,000 dependants affected as well). The combined value of UN and private sector construction projects that have come to standstill due to lack of supplies is estimated at over $370 million.
3. A conveyor belt/chute at Karni has been open periodically for the import of grains and animal feed.
4. Rafah crossing has now been closed for 33 days with thousands of Palestinians remaining stranded south of the border. Senior Palestinian traders have continued to enter Israel via Erez crossing.
5. Power outages have continued over the course of the last week and are now affecting most areas of the Gaza Strip. These cuts are expected to worsen unless there is resolution to the capacity deficits at the Gaza power station. Efforts are underway to deploy a technical maintenance team to service turbines at the power station.
6. Kerem Shalom has been subject to regular attack by Qassam rockets and mortars fired by Palestinian militias which resulted in the crossing being closed. Six rockets and 22 mortars were fired towards the crossing, including 10 mortars on 10 July.
7. 22 rockets and 22 mortars have been fired by Palestinian militants towards Israeli targets with five landing in Sderot on 8 July. No injuries or damage were reported.
8. There has been a sharp reduction in Israeli-Palestinian conflict related deaths and injuries in the last week however one IDF soldier was killed and two injured during an IDF operation into Brej refugee camp in central Gaza on 12 July. Two Palestinians were injured in the same area when a missile was fired from an Israeli drone. No Palestinians have been killed in Israeli-Palestinian conflict related violence between 6 – 13 July.

For more information please contact Juliette Touma, toumaj@un.org, 054-81-555-46

United Nations Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
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email:ochaopt@un.org
www.ochaopt.org

http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/Gaza-Situation_Rep_13July07-final.pdf