IMORB REPORTS DISCRIMINATION AT RAFAH BORDER

The International Movement to Open the Rafah Border
IMORB Reports Rafah Border Policy Discriminatory To Palestinians
Rafah Crossing
Rafah, Egypt

CONTACT:
Paki Wieland (002) 018 735 8621
Nada Kassass (002) 012 250 4611
A group of ten UNRWA employees with family members has been denied entry to their homes and UNRWA offices in Gaza, PalestineAfter two attempts on June 23 and 24, they are still waiting, although the employees all carry international passports and letters for readmission from Bon Ki-Moon, the Secretary-General of the United Nations. "We are all Palestinians; this why we are being stalled," explained ome of the employees.
The International Movement to Open the Rafah Border (IMORB), now in it's 13th day of a sit-in camp at the Rafah gate to protest the Siege of Gaza.
IMORB participants have made this statement:
We are pleased that on June 24, some sick and injured Palestinians entered Gaza expeditiously. However, throughout the thirteen days that we havemonitored the border situation, we have witnessed hundreds of Palestinians being denied entrance to Gaza, even with proper visas. The Rafah border policy is arbitrary and discriminates against Palestinians.They are often treated with callous disrespect by border authorities and personnel. IMORB sees this as an abuse of power and without regard for family structural needs. Palestinian families and individuals are usually delayed for days to weeks to months, experiencing hardship and forced to stay in hotels in nearby Rafah or El Arish, 35 km from the border. Even Palestinianswith US passports are stalled, and must return to the US without ever visiting their families in Gaza. There is no accountability for the abuses and discrimination towards Palestinians by Egyptian Intelligience or border authorities.
IMORB calls on Special Mideast Envoy, George Mitchell to immediately investigate the discriminatory and arbitrary practices and policies executed
at the Rafah Border Crossing. IMORB further is urging the US Congress and President Obama to end the Siege OF Gaza unconditionally, as a humanitarian crisis continues in the Gaza Strip that totally restricts reconstruction of Gaza since the Israeli invasion of 2008-9. Medical equipment and suppliesand medicine is severely limited, water is chemically polluted with high levels of nitrates and chlorides. Children experience chronic malnutrition asfood supplies are limited.Hundreds of Gazans have perished from the siege, since the winter Israeli invasion that killed nearly 1400 Gazans.
IMORB has learned that the border is expected to be open the weekend of June 27, 28 and 29. IMORB will closely monitor and report on the situation at this time.
الجميع في الجانب المصري، بمن فيهم السلطات والإعلام والإشاعات، يؤكدون أن المعبر سيتم فتحه بشكل تام، أيام 27 و28 و29 يونيو الجاري.لذا، نوجه نداء إلى كل الذين يرغبون في الدخول إلى قطاع غزة وكذلك إلى الذين يرغبون في توفير الدعم للحملة الدولية لفتح معبر رفح ورفع الحصار عن غزة، للحضور إلى المعبر، خلال هذه الأيام المعنية، للتأكد من فتحه، أو، في حالة العكس، التواجد بكثافة في المعتصم الدولي أمامه، للضغط على السلطات المصرية للوفاء بالتزامها بفتحه.