JERUSALEM (AP) - An Israeli rights group says the country’s Supreme Court has rejected its petition to ease restrictions on Palestinians traveling through a Gaza crossing.
Gisha, an Israeli group advocating for greater freedom of movement for Gazans, maintains the ban on travel with basic necessities is “arbitrary … and illegal.”
“The state is obligated to find a reasonable balance between Israel’s security needs and its responsibilities toward civilians under its control, passing through its crossings,” It said,
Last year Israel, citing security concerns, imposed new restrictions, including a ban on laptops, on Palestinians exiting Gaza.
Israel and Egypt imposed a blockade on Gaza in 2007 after the militant Islamic Hamas took over.
Israel says it is to prevent Hamas arming. Critics say it’s collective punishment of Gaza’s 2 million people.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.