By Xinhua
Gaza : Adel Nemer, a 38-year-old Gaza construction worker, has been sitting around since Israel blocked the entry of raw materials into the Gaza Strip for over three months.
“I go to work everyday, but I do nothing there, because there are no cements. Israel is not allowing cements and construction irons into Gaza for more than three months,” said Nemer, who was aware of Israel’s move to label Gaza an “enemy entity.”
Something that made Nemer scratch his head is what the Israelis want to do next. “Do they want to prevent us from breathing oxygen?” asked wide-eyed Nemer.
Israel announced a cabinet decision on Wednesday to declare Hamas-run Gaza Strip an “enemy entity,” paving the way for economic sanctions in response to frequent cross-border rocket attacks against the Jewish state, which closed all crossings on borders with the narrow enclave since Hamas’ forcible takeover in mid June
During the past three-month-long closure, Israel had allowed only humanitarian aid into Gaza, which heavily depends on outside aid inflow of almost everything, from basic foodstuffs to medicine.
A recent World Bank report said tightened Israeli closure on Gaza had lead to the closure of around 90 percent of its industries, warning that the ongoing closure would lead to a real humanitarian disaster.
“They (Israelis) are not even allowing all kinds of food supplies,” said Yousef Abu O’un, who owns a transportation company of trucks that carry products from the crossings into Gaza. “They even threaten to cut off electricity and fuels.”
He said that situation is getting worse and worse in Gaza and people have suffered from poverty, particularly in the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
According to Yousef, Gaza people ate only rice without meat to break their fast this year, unlike the tradition of Ramadan, during which observant Muslims fast from dawn to sunset and then satisfy themselves with a large meal to break fast.
Before Ramadan, Muslims always buy all kinds of food and sweet appetizers from dates to dried apricot juice. But this year, Gaza’s main markets were empty of both goods and customers, Yousef said.
Leaning over packs of cheese, jam jars and cans of potted meat in Gaza City’s central market, vendor Ahmed Jojo, 43, said “the Israelis closed the borders because Hamas defeated Fatah and seized Gaza. We are punished because we live in Gaza, that’s all.”
Jojo purchased 8,000 U.S. dollars worth of foodstuffs four months ago, but the products never reached Gaza due to the closure of Karni crossing, Gaza’s sole commercial outlet.
Ahmed Salman, a father of five, wondered “how can I earn money when all crossings are closed and job opportunities are not available? We received Ramadan with empty pockets.” He believes that Ramadan this year was the poorest and saddest holiday in his life.
Gaza economists said the economic situation has never been worse like this time, warning that if Israeli closure of Gaza continue, “there will be a severe catastrophe.”
Abdullah Ma’roof, a Gaza economist, said “the Israeli decision to consider Gaza a hostile entity had complicated the situation and increased people’s despair and frustration.”
“We are troubled by the closure imposed on the strip that prevents the transfer of goods and hurts the ability of traders and workers to support their families,” said Ma’roof.
“We didn’t feel any happiness when Ramadan arrived,” said Wedad, a peddler and a mother of six, whose husband has been jobless for five years.
Palestinians used to cope with their hard condition, she said, adding that the condition should end “because there are no people in the world still suffering as we do.”