Zionist regime closed Karm Abu Salem crossing 150 days in 2013

Union of Palestinian traders reported that the Israeli occupation authorities (IOA) closed the Karm Abu Salem crossing, Gaza’s sole commercial crossing, 150 days during the year 2013.

The Chamber of Commerce in the Gaza Strip considered in a report that the repeated closure of Karm Abu Salem crossing violates the agreements reached between the Palestinian factions and the IOA over a year ago under the Egyptian auspices.

Karm Abu Salem crossing opens 22 days every month. It is closed for Fridays and Saturdays and during the Jewish holidays.

The report pointed out that only 55,833 trucks entered the Strip through the crossing during the year 2013, this number is less by 1,578 trucks compared to the year before.

It stated that the IOA had allowed the export of only 187 trucks from the Gaza Strip over the past year, compared with 234 trucks in 2012.

The report also noted that the closure of the tunnels by the Egyptian army has caused losses estimated at more than half a billion dollars and the halt of some economic activities.

It stressed that the construction sector is one of the most important sectors that has been damaged by the closure of tunnels, as it mainly depends on building materials smuggled through the tunnels.

Chamber of Commerce in the Gaza Strip pointed out that the unemployment rate in Gaza exceeded 39% of the population by the end of last year because of the deteriorating economic conditions.