Infrastrukturen på Gazaremsan förbättras, blockaden har luckrats upp.

Thursday, June 30, 2011 Report: Implementation of the civil policy towards the Gaza Strip- One year since the Cabinets decision

Implementation of the civil policy towards the Gaza Strip- One year since
the Cabinets decision

Ministry of Defence
Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories

The Main Civil Activities toward the Gaza Strip

On the 20th of June, 2010, the Government of Israel decided to expand the
civil policy toward the Gaza Strip.

Throughout the past year, Israel continues to implement the civil policy
despite the ongoing attempts by Hamas, the terror organization that controls
the Gaza Strip, to attack Israeli communities and the land crossings between
Israel and the Gaza Strip.

In the year since the Cabinet's decision, Israel has acted to expand and
implement its civil policy in order to strengthen the Palestinian population
in the Gaza Strip.

Throughout the past year terrorist organizations continued launching rockets
and mortars shells at Israeli communities, despite the steps taken by
Israel, to improve the situation of the population in the Gaza Strip. The
terror organizations are even attempting to sabotage the activities of the
land crossings and to bring about their closure, with the aim of
depicting Israel as the cause of the Palestinian population's suffering
and as a country that denies this population access to humanitarian goods.

Since the Cabinet's decision, 473 rockets and mortar shells were
launched at Israel, 62 of which targeted the crossings between Israel and
the Gaza Strip.

Despite the ongoing launching of rockets, Israel has continued its civil
policy toward the population of the Gaza Strip, including, among other
activities, the entering of patients for medical treatment, the coordination
of the transfer of goods and building materials for projects, and
coordination of repairs of the electric grid, sometimes even during rocket
attacks and at great risk to the lives of workers at the crossings.

“Publish a list of items not permitted into Gaza… All items not on this list
will be permitted to enter Gaza”

On the 5th of July, 2010, Israel published a list of controlled items for
the Gaza Strip that outlined all the items whose entry into Gaza requires
special permission.

The list of controlled items is based strictly on security considerations,
relating to the ability of terrorist organizations to utilize them for
terror purposes, such as developing, manufacturing and upgrading rocket and
explosive capabilities aimed at harming the citizens of the State of Israel.

The list of controlled items comprises two groups:

1. Arms, munitions and dual use items1:

Arms and munitions
• Defense Export Control Order (Missile Technology), 2008
• Defense Export Control Order (Defense Equipment), 2008

Dual use items and substances
• List of dual-use items contained in the Wassenaar
Arrangement.
• Defense Export Control Order (Controlled Dual-use Equipment Transferred
to Areas Under Palestinian Civil Control), 2008
• Items whose entry to Judea and Samaria is controlled according to Head of
the Central Command's legislation
• Other items, the entry of which into the Gaza Strip constitutes a security
risk.

2. Construction materials, whose entry into the Gaza Strip will be allowed
for internationally- funded and supervised projects approved by the
Palestinian Authority.

49% of the goods transferred into the Gaza Strip consist of products whose
entry was approved following the publication of the list:

Distribution of Goods Transferred into the Gaza Strip

Electrical Construction Materials 10%
Household Goods 16%
Products 5%
Food Products 37%
Agricultural Inputs 12%
Misc 20%

Since the publication of the list the transfer of a broad range of products
has become possible, for example new vehicles, bonsai trees, domestic
fish, chandeliers, dolls for display windows, LCD televisions,
machines for the production of snacks, machines for the production of ice
cream, printing presses…

"Israel intends to hasten the approval of projects… while using the accepted
procedures"

Israel is working with the international community and the Palestinian
Authority to advance and streamline procedures for the approval of
internationally funded projects. To this end a coordination and monitoring
mechanism has been set up for the implementation of internationally funded
projects in accordance with security considerations.

So far 163 internationally funded projects were approved for implementation.
149 new projects were approved following the Cabinet's decision.

The projects are being implemented throughout the Gaza Strip – about half of
them in the northern part of the Strip.

The projects are being implemented by the different international
organization, Israel prioritizes the projects submitted by the UN- 65% of
the approved projects are carried out by UN agencies:

International Organization carrying out Approved Projects
Misc. 5%
World Bank 2%
UNDP 18%
UNRWA 47%
USAID 28%

So far 30 projects have been completed and 53 are in various stages of
implementation.

*it should be noted that the percentage of implementation don’t include the
13 projects approved on June 29th 2011.

"Enable and expand the inflow of dual-use construction materials for
approved PA- authorized projects that are under international supervision…"

During the past year 163,804 of construction materials for internationally
funded projects were transferred to the Gaza Strip, according to the
following chart:

The Transfer of Construction Inputs by International Organizations
USAID 34%
AFD 2%
World Bank 2%
Red Cross 2%
Various 3%
UNDP 18%
UNRWA 38%
KfW 1%

The transfer of construction materials for projects occurs following
coordination by international organizations with the Coordination and
Liaison Administration in Gaza:
Organization/Approved Projects/Projects Began-Ended/Construction Inputs
Transferred so Far(Tons)
UNRWA 70 projects 33 projects 69,692 ton
UNDP 24 projects 12 projects 16,864 ton
USAID 44 projects 32 projects 14,038 ton
World bank 3 projects 3 projects 34,293 ton
KFW 1 project 1 project 28,853 ton
AFD - France 2 projects 1 project 100 ton
Red Cross 2 projects 1 project -
Netherlands 1 project -
Egypt 1 project -
Belgium 1 project -
NGO-Medico 1 project -
Total 150 Projects 83

In March, 2011, Israel carried out an operation for the entry of aggregates
into the Gaza Strip from Sufa area, during which a section of the security
fence between Israel and the Gaza Strip was removed. The three-week
operation was made possible by the protection of the IDF's Southern Command,
despite an escalation in the security situation by Hamas while the operation
took place.

During the operation for the entry of aggregates approximately 250 rockets
and mortar shells were fired at Israel.

During the operation approximately 60,000 tons of aggregates purchased by
different international organizations were transferred to Gaza in order to
enable the implementation of approved projects.

The Transfer of Aggregates from Sufa
World Bank 19%
KfW 26%
USAID 12%
UNRWA 31%
UNDP 12%

"Expand operations at the existing operating land crossings, thereby
enabling the processing of a significantly greater volume of goods through
the crossings …"

The plan for the expansion of Kerem Shalom Crossing will cost over 100
million NIS. The Land Crossings Authority of the Ministry of Defense is
working according to the development plans of Kerem Shalom.
The Land Crossings Authority has invested until today over 50 million NIS on
the development of the crossing in the last year:

On the Palestinian Side- 3 unloading platforms were
established over roughly 40 dunams; an active conveyor with a transfer
capacity of 30-35 truckloads of grains per day was set up; extensive
lighting was established to enable work at the crossing after sunset.

On the Israeli Side- the area for trucks was enlarged; the crossing's access
road was broadened; two complexes for the transfer of goods were completed
that enabled the crossing's output to increase from 90 truckloads per day to
200; a complex for the transfer of grains was built; a temporary complex for
the transfer of aggregates was constructed; an access road was paved to
enable the separate movement of import trucks.

The expansion of the Civil Policy has brought about an 87% increase in the
quantity of goods entering the Gaza Strip on a daily basis. The expansion of
the range of goods entering the Gaza Strip has significantly strengthened
the private sector and has resulted in a 66% rise in the extent of goods
purchased by the private sector in comparison with the parallel period last
year.

Although Kerem Shalom Crossing's capacity has been expanded, the average
number of truckloads transferred through it by Palestinians and the
international community is not equal to the available capacity.

In March, 2011, Israel decided to transfer the activities of the Karni
conveyor to Kerem Shalom Crossing as part of the development plans of Kerem
Shalom, as the main crossing for the economic activities, and in order to
increase the number of working days, which had been reduced at Karni
conveyor due to security threats on the conveyor.

In this framework the Land Crossings Authority established a unique
infrastructure at Kerem Shalom that will enable the transfer of 70
truckloads of aggregates per day and 30 truckloads of grains. Simultaneously
the process of establishing a large conveyor at Kerem Shalom was begun with
the aim of increasing the capacity for the transfer of aggregates and grains
on an average day by 150%.

"Streamline the policy of permitting the entry and exit of people for
humanitarian and medical reasons and that of employees of international aid
organizations..."

In the past year 29,715 Palestinians entered Israel from the Gaza Strip.
Additionally, Israel decided to increase the quota of traders entering
Israel to 70 per day.

In the past year 7,282 traders entered from the Gaza Strip for business
reasons in Israel, Judaea and Samaria, and abroad as part of the ongoing
economic activities in the Gaza Strip.

Distribution of People Exiting the Gaza Strip
Various 26%
Medical Reasons 46%
Traders 28%

The Cabinet's Decision in December, 2010 – "…to expedite increased exports
from the Gaza Strip at the current stage – focus, inter alia, on the
agriculture, furniture, and textiles sectors…"

In the framework of the Cabinet's decision on agricultural exports, the
export project in cooperation with the Netherlands to export
strawberries and carnations continued. In addition it had been
decided to export bell-peppers, but the exports stopped due to law quality
of the produce that did not meet European standards. As an alternative the
export of cherry tomatoes to European markets
was approved.

10,181,678 Carnations
367.5 Tons of Strawberries
6 Tons of Peppers
6.6 Tons of Cherry Tomatoes

The export of textile products and furniture to European markets is under
advanced staff work.

Economic Indicators

The civil policy supported the strengthening of the economy in the Gaza
Strip and helped improve the life of the local population. The
broadening of the civil policy influenced Gaza's economy positively.

Compared to 2009, the Gaza Strip GDP increased by 15.1% in 2010:

Compared to 2009, GDP per capita rose by 11.4% in 2010 and stands at 877
USD.

Unemployment in the Gaza Strip declined by 2% in the second half of 2010
compared to the parallel period in 2009.

In 2011 two new hotels opened in the Gaza Strip, and there are currently 10
hotels operating in the Gaza Strip.