Rafah Terminal Closed for 14th consecutive day

Tightening siege imposed on Gaza Strip becomes increasingly painful for the 14th day after closing Rafah Border Crossing . The closure of the terminal and the destruction of tunnels, through which most of Gaza needs of fuel and other basic materials used to be smuggled, led to economic hardships affecting the 1.7 million people living in the besieged enclave. A Palestinian man, suffering from heart ailment over the past ten years, died of a heart attack last night after being denied access by the Egyptian authorities. The environmental condition in the Strip is no less dangerous as the shortage of fuel threatens to cripple the water and sewage utilities. A report by the Palestinian government said that the stoppage of sewage treatment stations would lead to drenching streets of Gaza with waste water. The lack of fuel led to a halt in movement of garbage collection vehicles that transfer more than 1,500 tons of garbage daily to garbage dumps.