RESTRICTION SUMMARY: Rafah - 10 September 2023. Palestinian police officers walk at the commercial crossing of Kerem Shalom, as Israel ends a ban on exports from Gaza, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip

STORYLINE:

After days of closure and exportation halts, Israeli authorities reopened the Kerem Shalom crossing to exports from the besieged Gaza Strip. The prevention of exit of all goods from the coastal enclave via the fully Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing, the sole point of commercial import and export between Gaza and the rest of the world, caused serious repercussions for Gaza’s civilian population and economic sector.

Home to around 2.3 million Palestinians, Gaza is plagued by the devastating Israeli land, air and ground siege, pushing collapse across many sectors and causing soaring poverty and unemployment rates. Experts cautioned the recent decision to halt exports from the Gaza Strip as potentially catastrophic for the coastal enclave.

A report by the Palestinian Federation of Industries stated that the direct losses to the industrial sectors due to the decision to stop exports amounted to about $4,760,000. The five main sectors directly affected by the decision to halt exports are the clothing and textile sectors and the wood, plastic, food, engineering and metal industries. Approximately 147 factories, collectively employing 6,895 workers, were impacted by the closures, experiencing delays and work shutdowns in addition to lost revenue.

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