Gaza, ALRAY - The Egyptian security measures on the border with the Gaza Strip embodied in tunnels destroying led to scarcity in basic goods (Israel) bars from entering to Gaza through the Karam Abu Salem commercial crossing.

Undersecretary of Ministry of National Economy Hatem Oweida said Monday in a press conference "Many of construction raw materials like cement and gravel as well as production components have been scarce,"

"What has being done by Egypt recently on the Palestinian-Egyptian border {campaign against tunnels} poses an exacerbating crisis that could lead to deterioration of economic and social walks of life in Palestinian society," he added. 

Owaida called on Egypt to open the Rafah crossing to be a commercial one, as was before the November 2005agreement. 

“The Karam Abu Salem crossing provides an estimated 40 % of the Gaza needs of various goods, especially foodstuffs, clothing, finished plastic products and other basic consumer goods,” he said.

He appealed to the concerned authorities to pressure the Israeli occupation to end the blockade and open the Karni and Sufa crossings east of the Gaza Strip.

Israeli occupation authorities have been imposing a heavy embargo on the Gaza Strip since Hamas won the Palestinian legislative elections in 2006, controlling four out of the five border gates in Gaza (Sufa, Karni, Erez, Karam Abu Salem, Rafah).