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 While the leaders of Israel and Palestine seem to inch closer to a peace agreement, angry and frustrated aid workers continued to complain that the Israeli closure of a key checkpoint prevented them from reaching needy Palestinians in the Gaza Strip – in violation of international law.
The Israeli Defense Forces closed the Erez checkpoint May 11, separating Israel from the Gaza Strip, claiming the closure was necessary in light of recent terrorist attacks against Israelis. The Gaza Strip is home to 1.2 million people, many with jobs or businesses, requiring them to cross the checkpoint.
Since the closure, only diplomats have been given free access to travel between the territories. Officials opened the checkpoint once for specific individuals, but access for all other relief workers remained cut off. Under the Geneva Convention, to which Israel is a signatory, representatives from aid and development organizations should be allowed full access to populations requiring humanitarian aid.
May 26, a convoy of representatives from 30 international relief and development agencies drove to the checkpoint and publicly called for unrestricted access to the Palestinians they served. The agencies demanded that Israel comply with the Fourth Geneva Convention, stating that independent aid agencies are to have unfettered access to those in need in a conflict situation.
In addition, representatives of six United Nations agencies and 12 non-governmental organizations, including World Vision, protested the closure of the checkpoint in a letter dated May 20.
“We fully respect Israel’s security concerns,” read the letter, released May 20. “But we firmly reject the clear implication of the measures imposed at the Erez crossing for the last month that United Nations officials and international aid workers constitute a security threat to the State of Israel or its citizens.
World Vision has worked in the Gaza Strip for nine years with more than 2,000 sponsored children and more than 43,000 child and adult beneficiaries of relief and development programs.
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