Around 1,000 Palestinian truck drivers from the Union of
Commercial Transportation Drivers went on strike March 7. They
blocked the Kerem Shalom crossing in Gaza with 450 trucks to protest
Israel’s closure of the Karni crossing.
Israel had permanently closed the Karni crossing three days
earlier. It was the largest entry point to the Gaza Strip and had the
most capacity for transportation of goods. The Kerem Shalom entry
point is now the only crossing open for Gazan truckers, but the union
says Kerem Shalom is too small to provide enough goods for the entire
population of Gaza. The union also stated the drivers must travel
double the distance to use Kerem Shalom, and there is no access to
drinking water and bathrooms.
The closure, part of the relentless siege of Gaza imposed by the Israeli state for more than two years now, will also hinder the shipment of tools and supplies
needed for Gazans to work.
