Palestinians petition High Court over closure of Karni crossing

[Englander]

By Yuval Yoaz, Haaretz Correspondent

Palestinian farmers and suppliers on Wednesday petitioned the High Court of Justice to open the Karni crossing between Israel and Gaza and "end the economic asphyxiation" of the Gaza Strip.

Karni, which is Gaza's main cargo crossing, has been shut down for much of the past three and a half months due to repeated warnings of planned attacks by Palestinian terrorist organizations.

According to the petitioners, who made the claim through humna rights groups in Israel, the closure has caused losses of more than $24 million to the Palestinian economy.

The petitioners argue that the restrictions on passage through the crossing prevents a regular supply of staples, including foodstuffs and medicines, from reaching the population of the Gaza Strip.

They also claim that the closure of Karni has sparked fears of a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and has already led to scarcity of flour, baby formula, medicines and basic supplies.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/702820.html