Israel had already been limiting the movement of goods and people between Gaza and the West Bank at least since the early 1990s. In 2006, after Hamas won 74 out of 132 seats in the Palestinian legislative elections, Israel escalated its blockade.
Mohammed suffered a stroke, but Israel says he’s not ill enough for his son to get a travel permit to visit him. He needs care, but that is irrelevant. According to Israeli criteria, travel permits are only granted if first-degree relatives are dead or dying.
For 3 years, Israel has been spraying dangerous herbicides into Gaza to destroy foliage and enable clear viewing of land near the border. (Think Agent Orange.) The destruction of crops and the health risks to farmers infringe on human rights and violate international law. Human rights groups are trying to end this practice.
Israel’s callous disregard for Palestinian freedom to worship grows even more brazen than usual this Easter, adding to an already long list of human rights abuses. It’s business as usual under occupation.