GAZA CROSSINGS’ OPERATIONS STATUS:

MONTHLY UPDATE - NOVEMBER 2019

BACKGROUND Beit Lahiya
!
¹
Erez

Longstanding restrictions on the movement of people and goods to and from the Gaza Strip have !

a
Jabalya ! Beit

Se
undermined the living conditions of about two million Palestinians. Many of the restrictions, originally
Hanoun
Gaza City

an
!

imposed by Israel in the early 1990s and also in 2000s, when Israel shut down the Gaza airport and
!

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Ash Shuja’iyeh
Nahal Oz
safe passage between Gaza and West Bank, were intensified after June 2007, following the Hamas

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Karni

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takeover of Gaza, the imposition of a blockade and the closure of the Rafah crossing with Egypt (Rafah

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GAZA

ed
21
reopened in 2018). These restrictions limit access to livelihoods, essential basic services and housing, 300

M
!

disrupt family life, and undermine people’s hopes for a secure and prosperous future. In recent months, Deir al Balah

OCHA has witnessed some easing of restrictions, such as the opening Kerem Shalom crossing on ISRAEL
Fridays for the entry of Qatari-funded fuel for the Gaza Power Plant (GPP) and an increase in the !

number of permits issued to Palestinians classified as business people. Khan Yunis

Khuza’a
!

Interactive versions of the following charts are available at www.ochaopt.org/gaza-crossings/ EGYPT 14

389
Salah Ad Din Rafah Crossing Point
gate
!

Sufa Closed Crossing Point

Rafah ¹
º
»

5 Km Kerem Armistice Declaration Line

¹
º
International Boundary
»
Shalom

MOVEMENT AND ACCESS OF PEOPLE*

EREZ CROSSING RAFAH CROSSING
• Opened on 25 days during daytime: from Sunday to Thursday, for the passage of Israeli-issued permit • Opened in both directions during daytime on 19 days.
holders of all authorized groups (primarily business people, patients and accompaniers, foreign
nationals and aid workers); and, on Fridays, for urgent cases and foreign nationals.
• A total of 10,249 crossings (4,324 entries into Gaza and 5,925 exits) were
recorded in November, 17 per cent below the monthly average between January
• The crossing was almost totally shut down between 12 to 14 November, during the escalation
between Israel and Palestinian armed groups, with a few exceptional cases allowed through on the and October 2019 (12,326).
last two days. • Since July 2018, Rafah crossing has been operating five days a week (from
• The number of exits in November (18,404) was 23 per cent above the monthly average between Sunday to Thursday) on a regular basis, following some four years of irregular
January and October 2019 (14,962). and intermittent opening.
• The number of exits of patients and their accompaniers (2,662) decreased by 11 per cent, compared
with the monthly average between January and October 2019 (2,977).
• Israel approved 59 per cent of the 1,907 applications submitted during November for the exit of
patients referred to medical treatment in the West Bank and Israel; the rest were either rejected or
not answered by the time of the medical appointments (WHO).
• The number of exits by “business people” increased by 40 per cent, compared with the monthly
average between January and October (13,493 vs 9,651) and constitutes the largest category; some
of the people included in this category are believed to be day labourers.
• In October 2019, Israel approved 1,925 permits for Gaza residents to enter Israel and West Bank, over Crossings in both directions
half of them for persons classified as business people.
• The current number of “business people” (including reported labourers) with valid permits is nearly
5,000, up from less than 2,000 in December 2018 (PA General Authority for Civil Affairs). 35.0K

Crossings into Israel

43.4K 25.8K 25.2K
March 2006 - Israel stops allowing
Palestinian workers into Israel 21.2K
18.4K
15.7K 14.9K
31.4K 13.9K
June 2007 - Gaza blockade 13.3K 13.7K 13K 12.1K
19.7K 18K 10.2K
16.3K 16.6K17.7K 16K 9.8K 13.8K
15.0K 13.2K 13.6K 8.1K 8.2K 8.5K
12.4K 12.9K13.3K 5.6K
9.5K 11.1K 5.7K
13.5K
12.6K 5.8K7.1K 6.9K 1.8K 2.4K 3.5K 2.9K
3.3K 4.4K 4.9K 0.4K
1.9K2.2K 2.5K

200420052006 1st 2nd 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov 2006 1st 2nd 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov
1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2
2007 2007
Monthly Average 2019 Monthly Average 2019
Monthly Total Monthly Total

* The figures reflect number of times people crossed, but not the actual number of people crossing. * Since July 2018, It has been operating five days a week (from Sunday to Thursday).

MOVEMENT OF GOODS FROM AND INTO GAZA

EXIT OF GOODS
Truckloads of goods exiting Gaza
• Authorized goods exited through the Kerem Shalom crossing on 17 days.
• A total of 240 truckloads exited, which is similar to the figure recorded in 961

November 2018, but 75 per cent less than the monthly average in the first half of 777
2007, before the imposition of the blockade.
• Goods exited to:
- The West Bank: 163 truckloads of agricultural produce; 10 of fish; 9 of clothing; 398
362
4 of non-edible consumables and 1 of furniture; 417 274
319
296
263
218 217 240
- Israel: 33 truckloads of agricultural produce, palm fronds, scrap metal, furniture 113
178 171
82 109
151

and garments; 17 3 2 18 23 21 15 19

- Other destinations: 20 truckloads of agricultural produce. 2005 2006 1st 2nd 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov
1/2 1/2
• Kerem Shalom is the only crossing allowing for the regular exit of goods. 2007
Monthly Average 2019
Monthly Total

Creation date: 11/12/2019 Feedback: ochaimu@un.org www.ochaopt.org www.ochaopt.org/gaza-crossings/ facebook.com/ochaopt @ochaopt

Information on the status of border crossings and numbers of truckloads is based on data provided by the Gaza Ministry of National Economy, UNRWA, UNSCO and Paltrade (Palestine Trade Center).
GAZA CROSSINGS’ OPERATIONS STATUS: MONTHLY UPDATE - November 2019
ENTRY OF GOODS
Truckloads entering Gaza* • The Kerem Shalom crossing opened for imports on 17 days (Sunday to Thursday),
allowing the entry of 7,765 truckloads of goods, nearly the same as the monthly
average since the start of 2019 (7,901). The crossing was totally closed during
11.2K 10.8K the three days of the escalation in hostilities (12-14 November).
10.0K9.9K
10 k 9.7K
9.5K • Some six per cent of the goods entered were for humanitarian agencies.
9.3K 8.8K

7.9K
8.5K 8.4K 8.4K
8K
8.6K
• 3,650 of the truckloads that entered through Kerem Shalom carried construction
8k 7.2K 7.2K 7K materials, constituting the largest category of imports (47 per cent).
6k 5.7K Through Kerem • An additional 848 truckloads of goods (excluding fuel) entered from Egypt
Shalom
6.3K 4.8K through the Salah ad Din Gate, 48 per cent above the monthly average between
4.1K
4k
3.3K
January and October 2019 (572).
4.3K

2k
2.6K 2.2K 2.6K
Through Salah Al
Din gate

2005 2006 1st 2nd 2008 2009 20102011 2012 20132014 20152016 2017 2018 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov
1/2 1/2
2007
Monthly Average 2019
Monthly Total * Figures exclude truckloads carrying fuel.

Goods imported in November 2019 (in truckloads) Humanitarian vs. commercial imports (in truckloads)*

2018
Average
3629 Construction 3,126 11.3K

10.3K
2066 Human Food Products 2,455 9.9K
9.4K
9.1K 9.2K
1073 ABC Construction Materials 1,099 8.9K 8.9K
8.8K 8.9K
8.3K
571 Animal Feed 650
7.6K
7.5K 7.5K
481 Non-Edible Consumables 610
5.7K
455 Industrial/Electrical Appliances 361

183 Hygiene/Cleaning Supplies 193 3.9K Commercial

3.4K
3.1K 3.3K 3.1K
83 Packaging Applications 132 2.3K 2.2K
2.1K
1.7K
1.5K
91 Agricultural Raw Materials 104 1.0K
1.2K 1.0K
0.6K 0.4K 0.4K 0.6K 0.6K 0.4K 0.6K 0.5K 0.4K 0.5K 0.5K
0.2K 0.4K 0.2K 0.3K 0.3K
75 Medical Supplies 75 Humanitarian
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov
35 Education/Stationary 28
Monthly Average 2019
Monthly Total
105 Livestock 20
*Figures include truckloads carrying fuel.

6.0 m FUEL IMPORTS

4.0 m Kerem Shalom operated on 19 days for the import of
2.0 m fuel.
Petrol
0.0 m In total, this allowed the entry of:
litres
• 4.5 million litres of diesel;
20.0 m
15.0 m • 0.7 million litres of petrol;
10.0 m • 1,214 tons of cooking gas; and
5.0 m Diesel
0.0 m • 8.5 million litres of Qatari-funded fuel for the GPP.
litres
Salah ad Din Gate operated on 9 days for the entry of
8.0 k fuel, allowing the entry of:
6.0 k
4.0 k • 7.3 million litres of diesel;
2.0 k Gas • 2.1 million litres of petrol; and
0.0 k
tons • 4,335 tons of cooking gas.
20.0 m The volume of petrol and diesel that entered in
15.0 m November was two per cent below the monthly
10.0 m
average between January and October 2019.
5.0 m
0.0 m
Industrial Fuel
litres 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov

Monthly Average 2019

Monthly Total

Through Kerem Shalom Through Salah Al Din gate

* The Friday openings are ongoing since October 2018.

Creation date: 11/12/2019 Feedback: ochaimu@un.org www.ochaopt.org www.ochaopt.org/gaza-crossings/ facebook.com/ochaopt @ochaopt
Information on the status of border crossings and numbers of truckloads is based on data provided by the Gaza Ministry of National Economy, UNRWA, UNSCO and Paltrade (Palestine Trade Center).