HaMoked appeals to the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories to process requests by Palestinians wishing to leave the Gaza Strip for the West Bank without requiring prior applications be filed with the Palestinian Civilian Committee: Dozens of Palestinians cannot reach the Israeli point because of gate closures and many are waiting in harsh, inhuman conditions by the gates leading to the Israeli side

The letter dated 21 June 2007, was sent following recent events in the Gaza Strip, in the wake of which the office of the Palestinian Civilian Committee was shut down. This committee is responsible for forwarding applications submitted by Palestinians wishing to travel from Gaza to the West Bank through Israel to the Israeli side. This is the only way for Palestinians to submit applications or receive answers. Therefore, there is now no body which can forward such applications to the Israeli District Coordination Office (DCO). As a result of this situation, HaMoked received calls from dozens of Palestinians trapped in the Gaza Strip: people who live in the West Bank and had arrived in the Gaza Strip to visit family and cannot now return to their homes and children, as well as people who wish to leave the Strip and stay with family in the West Bank until the situation calms.  

HaMoked argues that the new situation necessitates more flexible procedures and faster and more effective processing of the applications forwarded to the Israelis. Therefore, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories is requested to instruct the Erez DCO in the Strip to accept applications forwarded to it by human rights organizations and effectively and speedily process them without making processing conditional on an application from the Palestinian Civilian Committee. 

Additionally, on 20 June 2007, HaMoked requested the head of the coordination administration to have permits given to residents and citizens of Israel who are in the Gaza Strip through the divided families procedure automatically renewed. This, after HaMoked was informed that the DCO was neither admitting nor processing requests by women from divided families who were in the Gaza Strip and wished to renew their permits for remaining there or women from divided families wishing to enter the Strip from Israel or vice versa. 

To view HaMoked's letter dated 21 June 2007 (Hebrew)