Gaza cucumbers reach West Bank for first time in 7 years

Israel allowed Palestinian farmers to ship produce from the blockaded Gaza Strip to the occupied West bank on Thursday for the first time in seven years, according to Palestinian and Israeli officials.

A truck carrying 10 tons of cucumbers, crossed through Israel to Hebron in the West Bank on Thursday and will be followed by a “a tonne of fish on Sunday”, according to an Arabic-language posting on Twitter by the Israeli Army.

Gazans are hoping this may be a sign of Israel loosening its blockade on the tiny coastal enclave that has deprived many Gazan entrepreneurs and farmers of their livelihoods in a society where unemployment runs at 40 percent, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.

Israel has prevented Gaza residents from selling any form of produce in the West Bank and Israel, its two natural markets, since 2007 when Hamas seized control of Gaza which is home to 1.8 million people.

Israel agreed to "ease" the siege on Gaza in the ceasefire agreement that concluded a massive military offensive on Gaza over summer, which left nearly 2,200 dead. Until now, however, the scale of that easing was not made clear, and many feared that no easing would occur.

Gisha, an Israeli NGO which lobbies for greater freedom of access and movement for Palestinians, welcomed the latest development and said exports should be expanded to include manufactured goods.

“Access to markets in Israel and the West Bank is critical to rehabilitating Gaza's agricultural and industrial sectors," said Eitan Diamond, the director of Gisha. “These recent developments are still tiny steps in the right direction but they do offer a glimmer of hope that perhaps the markets will open up again. Israel must lift the obstacles that prevent Palestinians from developing their economy and leading their lives with dignity."

Before the ban was imposed in 2007, exports from Gaza to the West Bank and Israel – mainly fruits and vegetables but also flowers, fish, and other products – accounted for 85 percent of all goods being shipped out of Gaza, according to Gisha statistics.

Citing security concerns, Israel continues to restrict the movement of people and goods through its border with Gaza, allowing the export of Gaza-grown strawberries, flowers, mint and basil to Europe in limited quantities.

Although the blockade has been significantly eased in the years since 2007 Israel left the export ban in place, alongside sweeping restrictions on movement between the West Bank and Gaza under what security officials have referred to as a "policy of separation" between the two territories. 

Allowing the truck of cucumbers through, analysts say, reveals a growing realisation by Israel's authorities that without taking steps to alleviate poverty in Gaza conflict remains likely.

“Israel sees that in order to stabilise Gaza and achieve a sustainable ceasefire, not one that collapses every year and a half, you need to improve living situations in Gaza,” said Ofer Zalzberg, a senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, based in Jerusalem.

“They have to distinguish between the armed groups with whom they’re engaged in hostilities and the civilian population in Gaza. Inflicting hardship on the entire population of Gaza doesn’t even serve Israel’s self-interest.”

Zalsburg warned against reading too much into the temporary lifting of the blockade.

“Exports to the West bank are, so far, largely symbolic. There is still a significant gap between the government’s declared willingness and the scope in which it is actually doing them. Allowing a truck through here and there is not going to be enough to allow Gaza’s economy to prosper and thrive,” he said.

Eitan Diamond said that the slight easing of the blockade was fragile.

Last week Israel closed its borders with Gaza after the Israeli military said its iron dome defence system detected a missile fired into its territory from the coastal enclave.

“That’s the return to the old pattern where the whole population has to suffer because of the acts of a small group,” said Diamond.