The Head of the Popular International Committee to Support the Gaza Strip, Essam Youssef, warned of the humanitarian consequences of the Israeli authorities’ closure of the Karam Abu Salem (Karem Shalom) border crossing on the population of Gaza.

Israel closes sole commercial crossing with Gaza https://t.co/pZlbQlc5FX

— SYA_313 (@SYA_313) July 21, 2018

Youssef said in a press release:

“The catastrophic effects of closing the only commercial crossing by the occupation will be so comprehensive that the lack of food and basic life necessities will affect young and old people in the besieged Gaza Strip.”

He stated that “the danger will affect all neighborhoods in the Gaza Strip.”

#Gaza Runs Out of Cooking #Gas after Israel Closes Crossing https://t.co/n6OjxbTxVD via @PalestineChron pic.twitter.com/wBeyeXkoIp

— Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) July 20, 2018

He stressed that the health sector, which is already reeling from the 12-year siege which Israel has imposed on the Strip, would be unable to survive the latest closure.

#Gaza Patients Appeal to International Community to Save their Lives https://t.co/RyO7cW6yCe via @PalestineChron pic.twitter.com/TQ8IG3FK9w

— Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) July 18, 2018

Yousef stressed that,

“the Israeli occupation’s closure of the Karam Abu Salem border crossing is a form of collective punishment.”

He called on the international community to put pressure on the occupation to stop the crimes against humanity that “it commits without deterrence”.

(MEMO, PC, Social Media)