With the end of the Coronavirus restrictions, Israel expects huge increases in the number of goods exported from Gaza to both Israel and the areas of the Palestinian Authority (PA) for the year 2022. After a brief stoppage of trade during Operation Breaking Dawn, it’s back to business as usual.
Government projections indicate that 2022 will see a 27.7% overall increase in goods sent to Judea and Samaria from Gaza over the year 2021 and more than a 50% increase over 2020.
For 2022, a 93.8% increase is projected for goods sent from Gaza to Israel over the total for 2021, and an almost 500% increase over 2020.
2022 is also expected to see a 311% increase in activity at the Erez border crossing between Gaza and Israel over the year 2021 and more than a 550% increase over 2020.
The Coordinator of Government Operations in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, Major General Ghassan Alian – who is a Druze Israeli – explained that in the last year the IDF, under the guidance of the Minister of Defense, has been promoting an integrated policy towards the Gaza Strip.
This policy, he said, consists of an effort to thwart any escalation of violence in the area and any attempt to harm the security of the State of Israel.
General Alian declared that last week, during Operation Breaking Dawn, strategic objectives belonging to the Islamic Jihad were attacked and the top command of the organization was thwarted after it “tested Israel’s patience.”
“With the end of the operation and the removal of the threat to the security of Israeli citizens,” he commented, “we are back to the application of civilian policies towards the Gaza Strip.”
“The residents of Gaza should know that we have no interest in being dragged along for a war against them,” he added. “The Israeli security system will continue to enable a humanitarian policy towards the Gazan public.”
But, he stressed, this is subject to the powers that be in Gaza maintaining stability and preventing terrorism.
General Alian also had a stern message for the people of Gaza about who it is that is really to blame for their suffering at times of conflict with Israel – Hamas.
“Hamas is an enemy of the State of Israel,” he stressed, “and, unfortunately, also of the residents of Gaza”
