Gaza, ALRAY - Two Palestinian observers considered that demolishing Al-Mentar/Karni commercial crossing east Gaza Strip, an Israel's persistence in tightening the political and economic blockade on the Strip, and its renunciation of the agreements concluded, the crossings were one of its cornerstones.

The spokesperson of Israeli army said in a statement that it has started dismantling Karni Oz on Sunday, which includes dismantling the security barrier area on the Gaza Strip border.

Mohsen Abu Ramadan, an economist, said, “The occupation’s demolition of the Karni crossing falls within the framework of the Israeli security policy, to tighten the siege on the Gaza Strip under security pretexts and justifications.

Abu Ramadan indicated that this crossing, which was active before 2011, used to accommodate the entry of 400 trucks per day.

Israeli dismantling of Karni Oz reduces the area of economic activity in Gaza, leaving only the Kerem Shalom crossing as the only crossing. It also reduces the prospects for export, which is a major source of GDP, because without export there is no strong domestic product.

He pointed out that the closure and dismantling of Al-Mentar crossing comes as part of a security and military operation, as well as Israeli justifications and pretexts for tightening the siege on the political and economic levels, and the consequences affecting economic development, to keep the Gaza Strip captive to a single trade route for export.

For his part, the deputy director of the Al-Mizan Center for Human Rights, Samir Zaqout, stressed that Israel continues to impose facts on the ground through the arrogance of force to evade the concluded agreements.

“The Palestinians were living the illusion of Oslo (an agreement between the Palestinian Authority and the occupation) as the path to a Palestinian state, at the same time, Israel considered the agreement merely an attempt to calm the situation in order to implement its programs and plans, without creating any opposition from the Palestinians or the international community,” Zaqout stressed.  

The Palestinian human rights activist stressed that the occupation has disregarded all previous agreements, while the PA is still committed to its role, and Israel is now destroying the chances of a two-state solution.

He considered dismantling and removing the Karni crossing as part of the fait accompli, as it has been closed since 2011, indicating that this matter expresses intentions of non-compliance with the agreements, whether today or in the future, without creating any opportunities for things to return to the way they were before.

Al-Mentar crossing is considered the largest crossing between the Gaza Strip and the occupied territories in 1948. It was established with the advent of the Palestinian Authority in 1994 for trade exchange between Gaza and the outside world, and the occupation authorities closed it in 2011.

Israeli occupation army launched on Sunday an operation called “Karni Oz” to evacuate the Karni crossing, demolish it, and erect a land barrier in its place.

The occupation army said in a statement, Karni Oz will continue for several weeks, during which work will be carried out in the obstacle area, aimed at improving defense.