The Israeli blockade has locked in Palestinians in Gaza, denied them free access, and affected disabled people in the besieged enclave.

The isolation of Gaza has been exacerbated by restrictions imposed by the Egyptian authorities on its single passengers crossing (Rafah), as well as by the internal Palestinian divide.

The UN Secretary-General has found that the blockade and related restrictions contravene international humanitarian law as they target and impose hardship on the civilian population, effectively penalizing them for acts they have not committed. Major escalations of hostilities in the past years have resulted in extensive destruction and internal displacement.

The Great March of Return demonstrations in Gaza were suspended at the end of 2019. However, like thousands of wounded or traumatized people continue to suffer the consequences. To support their rehabilitation and mitigate the impact on them and their families, humanitarian agencies have appealed for US$13.5 million for a range of interventions during 2020; so far only 19 per cent of this amount was secured.

Lack of funding is not the only impediment to respond to the health needs of the affected people. Many patients with complex injuries, who were referred to specialized treatment in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem (and occasionally in Israel), have not been granted an exit permit by the Israeli authorities. Given the severe limitations of Gaza’s health system, unless reversed, this policy will continue to undermine the patients’ prospects of recovery.

Crowd-control methods used by Israeli forces during the GMR have raised serious concerns about excessive use of force, compounded by a lack of effective investigations and accountability. Also of concern are indications that Hamas authorities have not done enough to protect children attending the demonstrations and prevent their exposure to the risk of violence or instrumentalization for political action. As the GMR demonstrations, or others, will resume in the future, it is critical that both authorities modify these policies and practices to avoid further casualties and unnecessary suffering.