<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[Occupied Palestine | فلسطين]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[https://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[occupiedpalestine]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[https://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com/author/hajarhajar/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[Tabba&#8217;a: Closing of Mintar crossing causes sever shortage in Gaza basic&nbsp;needs]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[<table width="100%" align="center">
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<td><span class="PublishedDate">[ 					21/01/2011 &#8211; 11:43 AM ] </span></td>
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<p><img src="https://i1.wp.com/www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/DataFiles%5CCache%5CTempImgs%5C2011%5C1%5Cimages_News_2011_01_21_mintar-sofa_300_0.jpg" alt="" /></div>
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<p style="font-size:10pt;">GAZA, (PIC)&#8211; Palestinian economy  expert Maher Al-Tabba&#8217;a, , has warned Thursday that the closure of the  Mintar crossing point caused sharp shortage in the basic needs of the  Palestinian people in Gaza Strip.</p>
<p style="font-size:10pt;">Tabba&#8217;a, who is also the director of the  public relations section in the Palestinian chamber of commerce,  explained that the Israeli decision to permanently close the Mintar  crossing point and to leave only the Kerem Shalom crossing point open  for goods to pass to the besieged Gaza Strip would create big  humanitarian crises.</p>
<p style="font-size:10pt;">According to Tabba&#8217;a, the Gaza Strip  suffers from an acute shortage in flour, cooking gas, and grain as a  result of the closure, pointing out that leaving Kerem Shalom as the  only commercial gateway to the Gaza Strip would produce negative  results.</p>
<p style="font-size:10pt;">&#8220;Kerem Shalom is very far and not prepared  to accommodate that many trucks crossing into the Strip carrying basic  needs to the 1.6 million Palestinians besieged in the Strip for five  years now&#8221;, Tabba&#8217;a explained in an interview with the Quds Press.</p>
<p style="font-size:10pt;">He added that the Israeli occupation  authorities sealed off all crossing points of the Gaza Strip namely  Al-Mintar, the Nahel Oz crossing point that was used for passing gas and  fuel, the Sofa crossing point that was used for passing cement and  construction materials, and the Oja crossing point that was used for  other goods; and left only the Kerem Shalom crossing point to  accommodate all those goods.</p>
<p style="font-size:10pt;">Last month, the Fatah-affiliated PA  leadership in Ramallah signed an agreement with the Israeli occupation  government to permanently close the Mintar crossing point without paying  any attention to their own Palestinian people already suffering under  the crippling Israeli siege for five years now.</p>
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<p><a href="http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bcOd87MDI46m9rUxJEpMO%2bi1s7W9qtdZnOIBh4aQOTgHL0fpOmwRbdgYk7CnTAZ1H4iUjQMAHoxuQuMCzlUrDNfKY%2bFFE06ATyN2QH%2f2o7runTRkJwLzy6IbVohqCF9tsf7nk%3d">Tabba&#8217;a: Closing of Mintar crossing causes sever shortage in Gaza basic needs</a>.</p>
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