Crossings as a weapon of war: how Israel strangled Gaza via blockade

Although Gaza is only a few kilometres away from the rest of the world, its inhabitants live in suffocating isolation, controlled by decisions rather than borders. This isolation is measured by the permits granted or denied and by the gates opened and closed according to the balance of military power. The crossings, which were supposed to be lifelines, have been turned by Israel into tools of subjugation and collective punishment, through which it controls the movement of people and the flow of food, medicine and fuel, imposing a permanent siege on more than two million Palestinians.

Land and sea crossings are the only lifeline for the Gaza Strip, but they are directly or effectively controlled by Israel and used as a political and security bargaining chip, in clear violation of the principles of international humanitarian law. As the war continues, the closure of the crossings has become one of the main causes of the worsening famine, the collapse of the health system, and the disruption of the most basic necessities of daily life.

The Gaza Strip is connected to eight main land and sea crossings. Israel has complete control over seven of them, while the Rafah crossing – the only land crossing with Egypt – was outside Israel’s formal control for a limited period before Israel imposed its de facto control and closed it completely in May 2024.

Rafah Crossing: the crossing to Gaza that Israel forcibly closed

The Rafah Crossing was the most important lifeline for the residents of the Strip, both for the passage of patients, students and travellers, and for the entry of humanitarian aid under specific arrangements. However, Israel’s military control of it in May 2024 and its complete closure led to an almost total halt in transit, depriving thousands of patients and wounded people of treatment and disrupting the entry of aid, even though the crossing does not legally fall under Israeli sovereignty.

Karam Abu Salem Crossing: food under the knife

The Karam Abu Salem Crossing, southeast of the Strip, is Gaza’s most important commercial gateway, through which the vast majority of food, medicine and aid shipments pass. However, Israel has complete control over the number of trucks, the type of goods and the timing of their entry, turning the crossing into a tool for political and humanitarian blackmail that is opened and closed according to Israeli calculations, not the needs of the population.

Al-Muntar Crossing: the disrupted artery of exports

The Al-Muntar Crossing is located east of Gaza City and was previously the main commercial crossing, equipped to accommodate about 220 trucks per day. However, it has been effectively removed from the export system and is now used only for limited imports, which has severely damaged the productive and industrial sectors and deepened the economic dependence of the sector.

Beit Hanoun (Erez) Crossing: the closed gate for the people

In the northernmost part of the Strip is the Beit Hanoun Crossing, which before 2007 was the main crossing point for workers, traders and patients travelling to the West Bank and the occupied interior. Today, the crossing is under complete Israeli control and is almost permanently closed, cutting off geographical and human contact between Gaza and the rest of the Palestinian territories.

Gaza crossings closed or converted for military purposes

East of Rafah is the Al-Awda commercial crossing, which was previously used to bring in construction materials and goods, but has been closed since 2008 and is now abandoned.

The Al-Qarara crossing is located east of Khan Yunis. It is a disused crossing that is only used for Israeli military purposes related to field operations and incursions.

The Shuja’iyya crossing, east of Gaza City, is dedicated to the entry of fuel through special pipes and is used very limitedly. Any interruption in its operation leads to widespread paralysis, including hospitals, power stations and bakeries.

Zikim Crossing: aid under restrictions

Israel opened the Zikim Crossing in the north of the Strip in 2024, ostensibly to allow humanitarian aid to enter, but it is subject to strict controls and is opened irregularly and with limited capacity, making it unable to meet even minimum humanitarian needs.

Huge losses for Gaza

In addition to the land crossings, Israel imposes a suffocating naval blockade that prevents Gaza from exploiting its most important natural outlet. Economic studies indicate that an efficient seaport would reduce trade costs by about 25%, increase exports by more than 27%, and raise the sector’s revenues by about $127 million annually. However, the blockade prevents this entirely.

According to United Nations estimates, the closure of the crossings has caused economic losses estimated at $17 billion over ten years, while Israeli control of the crossings has become a tool of comprehensive blockade, through which it controls food, medicine, fuel and freedom of movement.

Despite this, Egypt is often blamed for the closure of Gaza, while the reality is that the flow of aid is essentially halted by Israeli decisions, whether through direct closures or through restrictions on the entry of shipments even through the Kerem Shalom crossing.

Featured image via the Canary