‘Tool of siege’: Israel’s punishing control of Gaza movement

Israeli crossing closures have ceased to be a temporary ‘security measure’ and instead have become a daily reality that has redefined survival for Palestinians.Published On 9 Feb 2026Khan Younis, Gaza Strip – Under international humanitarian law, freedom of movement is a fundamental right, inseparable from other core protections such as the right to life, food and education.In Gaza, however, freedom of movement has become a tool of control and collective punishment, administered through a complex system of road closures, permits and guarded land crossings.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Israel’s Gaza genocide risks global order, leaders warn at Al Jazeera Forumlist 2 of 4Families ‘inconsolable’ in Gaza as Israel returns more unidentified bodieslist 3 of 4Hamas leader rejects disarmament while Israeli occupation of Gaza continueslist 4 of 4How reconstruction became Israel’s new weapon of ‘silent transfer’ in Gazaend of listDuring Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, which began in October 2023, this system became fully entrenched through the control of gateways: who is allowed in and out, when, in what numbers, and what goods may enter or are barred.As months passed, closure ceased to be a temporary “security measure” and instead became a daily reality that has redefined survival itself for Palestinians.A patient in need of medical treatment abroad, a student awaiting an opportunity to study, a family separated across borders, or a wounded war victim on an evacuation list – all ultimately confront the same barrier: Israeli-controlled land crossings.At the centre of this system stands the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, long viewed as Gaza’s only outlet to the outside world not directly governed by Israel.In practice, however, Rafah became part of the same control regime. On May 7, 2024, Israel announced it had taken “operational control” of the Palestinian side of the crossing, effectively shutting down a vital lifeline for humanitarian aid and medical evacuations.In the weeks that followed, media outlets documented how aid trucks were left stranded, and food supplies destined for Gaza had spoiled under the sun, while Rafah remained closed or effectively disabled at the height of humanitarian need.With its closure, Rafah was transformed from a crossing point into an instrument of collective regulation.Through numerical caps, name lists and layered approvals, Israeli authorities have exercised full control over movement, with immediate consequences for food supply chains, humanitarian assistance, medical evacuations, and Palestinian civilians’ right to travel and reunite with their families.Movement as tool of controlFollowing the closure of the Rafah crossing, the Israeli army selectively opened alternative points for the passage of “pre-approved goods” and limited numbers of patients and humanitarian staff.The United Nations repeatedly warned about unsafe access to several crossings because of Israeli military activity in Gaza.The crossings deemed “operational”, which shifted over time, were primarily Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) and Kissufim.In reality, this arrangement did not result in a stable flow of aid, but in a volatile system reliant on constantly changing entry points in line with military developments.In northern Gaza, following Israel’s enforced separation of Palestinians from the south, the UN documented the Israeli army’s closure of multiple key roads and corridors.This meant restrictions applied not only to “entry into Gaza” but also to “access within Gaza”, further isolating entire areas from supplies and essential services.Beyond crossings and roads, Israel’s war imposed an additional layer of control through what became known as “mandatory coordination” for humanitarian convoys. Even when aid was permitted to enter, its movement inside Gaza remained contingent on Israeli military approvals, particularly near areas of Israeli troop deployment or on routes leading to crossings.Data from the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) show hundreds of humanitarian missions faced “impediment, cancellation, or denial”.According to Maha al-Hussaini, advocacy director at the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, what unfolded during the genocide was not merely temporary restrictions on freedom of travel, but “a systematic policy through which Israel used control over movement to and from Gaza as a central tool of siege, collective punishment, and coercive management of the civilian population”.Al-Hussaini told Al Jazeera that under international law, Israel – as the occupying power – is obligated to allow freedom of movement to guarantee “access to food, humanitarian aid, healthcare, education, and family reunification”.Yet, she said, Israeli practices during the war reflected “a systematic violation of these obligations” through the near-total closure of crossings, strict control over who is permitted to leave or return, and the use of “arbitrary and degrading measures against civilians”.Maha, 10, had her foot amputated after Israeli shelling in Gaza, but is one of the few Palestinians to receive medical treatment in Egypt [Ali Moustafa/Getty Images]Medical evacuations: A matter of life or deathThe use of movement as a control mechanism is most starkly revealed in the medical evacuation file.Following Israel’s closure of Rafah, evacuation of the sick and wounded was routed through an extremely complex process, beginning with patient lists and referrals, followed by transfers to gathering points inside Gaza, and then transport to the Karem Abu Salem crossing, where additional Israeli security clearances were required.This failed miserably in responding to the terrifying scale of the ongoing medical catastrophe in the Strip. It is instead a purposefully slow and heavily conditioned pathway.Official figures expose a stark gap between demand and reality.Between May 8, 2024, and January 18, 2025, only 459 patients were evacuated through Karem Abu Salem. During a subsequent ceasefire period between January 19 and March 17, 2025, when Rafah was partially reopened, the number rose to 1,702 patients, including hundreds of children, clearly indicating that evacuations improve only when additional movement routes were available.Once that period ended and reliance on Karem Abu Salem resumed, evacuations again dropped sharply to just 352 patients between March 18 and July 16, 2025.By contrast, the World Health Organization (WHO) today reports that more than 18,500 patients in Gaza remain in urgent, life-saving need of medical treatment outside the Strip.The disparity between need and outcome shows that evacuations conducted over many months addressed only a tiny fraction of actual demand, leaving thousands trapped on open-ended waiting lists in war-battered Gaza.‘Cruel and inhuman treatment’More than 1,600 Palestinians have died while waiting for healthcare abroad. In this context, al-Hussaini said restrictions on movement amount to one of Israel’s gravest violations during the genocide.“Thousands of wounded and ill Palestinians, including children and cancer patients, were denied the ability to travel outside Gaza for medical treatment, or were forced to wait for weeks or months under complex and opaque procedures. In many cases, their health deteriorated or they died before permission to leave was granted,” she said.“Such practices cannot be justified on security grounds and constitute a direct violation of the right to life, amounting to cruel and inhuman treatment.”When Rafah was partially reopened this month after the United States applied pressure on Israel’s leaders, the underlying reality did not fundamentally change. On February 2, the WHO announced the evacuation of just five patients and seven companions.It was a tightly controlled border opening with Egypt governed by multiple layers of scrutiny: small numbers allowed to cross, prior Israeli security authorisation for returnees, European screening at Rafah, followed by a second identification and interrogation process in a corridor administered by the Israeli army.Al-Hussaini said the restrictions imposed during the war, taken in totality, show that Israel uses freedom of movement in Gaza to regulate the daily life of Palestinians, determining who receives aid, who accesses health treatment, and who remains trapped in the Strip, placing these policies at the heart of legal debates around proportionality, the prohibition of collective punishment, and the obligations of an occupying power.Etedal Rayyan, 29, recently returned to Gaza from Egypt through the Rafah border crossing [AFP]Blockade as permanent policy since 2007Israeli restrictions on freedom of movement in Gaza did not begin with the current war. Since 2007, they have evolved from purportedly temporary security measures into a permanent policy structuring the lives of 2.4 million people.