[JURIST] The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) [official website] on Thursday reported [UN News Centre report] that ongoing blockages restricting movement of people and goods into and out of Gaza have “undermined” the living conditions of nearly two million Palestinians. The OCHA reports that the restrictions, put in place by Israel in 2007, “have reduced access to livelihoods, essential services and housing, disrupted family life, and undermined the people’s hopes for a secure and prosperous future.”The OCHA findings are based on a study [PDF] of movement of people and goods into and out of Gaza up to December 2014. The situation became worse in 2013 when Egypt began restricting access through the Rafah Crossing amid tensions with Hamas, an Islamist group that governed Gaza. Egyptian authorities stated [IBT report] Thursday that they will fully reopen the Rafah Crossing when they hand authority to the Palestinian Authority. The only other routes into and out of Gaza are the Kerem Shalom and Erez crossings, both leading into Israel.

The Gaza blockade is part of the ongoing conflict [HRW backgrounder] between Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory. In November the UNHRC urged Israel to investigate [JURIST report] alleged violations committed by its forces during the recent conflict in Gaza. The 2014 conflict lasted from July 8 to August 26, resulting in more than 100,000 buildings damaged and nearly 2,200 deaths, with a high quantity of civilian casualties. In September Human Rights Watch accused the Israeli military of committing war crimes [JURIST report] by attacking schools where hundreds of displaced Palestinians sought shelter. Also in September the Shurat HaDin of the Israel Law Center asked the International Criminal Court to open an investigation [JURIST report] into alleged war crimes committed by Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal.