Gaza City, August 5 (RHC)-- The Israeli regime has sealed its crossings with the Gaza Strip since Tuesday, further exacerbating the humanitarian situation in the impoverished enclave.

Currently there are two Israeli-controlled crossings into the tiny coastal enclave--the Kerem Shalom commercial crossing located on the southernmost tip of the Gaza Strip and the Erez pedestrian crossing in Northern Gaza.  The crossings have been partially operating since Israel imposed a tight blockade on Gaza in 2007.

The impoverished coastal enclave already suffers from high poverty and unemployment rates.  Most Gazans also depend on handouts from international aid agencies to survive.

For 15 years, the Israeli regime has kept an illegal and inhumane closure on the Gaza Strip, affecting the lives of more than two million Palestinians and restricting their freedom of movement.  Tel-Aviv’s move to shut down the crossings will further complicate living conditions in the impoverished enclave.

According to human rights groups the Israeli blockade has wreaked havoc on the economy of Gaza and worsened its humanitarian conditions.