Palestinian fishermen decry Israel’s ban on Gaza exports as collective punishment
By ISSAM ADWAN and ISABEL DEBRE
Associated Press
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel has closed the main commercial crossing in the Gaza Strip, effectively banning exports from the coastal territory after saying it uncovered explosives hidden in clothing being shipped to the occupied West Bank. The ban, imposed Monday night, chokes off the territory’s already ailing economy. Rights advocates condemned Israel’s latest measure as a form of collective punishment against Gaza’s 2 million people, including tens of thousands of laborers who heavily depend on exports to Israel and the occupied West Bank to stay afloat. Gaza’s 4,000 fishermen, with their perishable exports, were among the first to feel the pain. The fishermen say the measure is collective punishment.