Israeli Authorities released Red Line Report for Gaza Strip

The Israeli Authority on 18 October 2012 released documents describing the red line for minimum food needs of people at Gaza Strip to avoid, the issue of Malnutrition.

Referring to the defence ministry documents dated 2008 obtained under Freedom of Information, an Israeli NGO, Gisha that campaigns for the cause of Palestinian Freedom of Movement and Trade stated that 2279 calorie per person per day was sufficient to avoid malnutrition on the Gaza strip.  

A blockade was imposed by Israel in June 2006 after a militant snatched one of its soldiers and tightened it in September 2007 after seizure of the Islamists Hamas Movement and the soldiers of the Western Backed President Mahmud Abbas were sent on exile.

Gisha report also cleared that this was an official goal of this barrier lied behind the economic warfare policy of creating a paralysis in Gaza’s economy to create pressure on the Hamas Government. It was officially cleared by the COGAT defence ministry department spokesperson that the report entitling- Food Consumption in the Gaza Strip -- Red Lines was never implemented to set the levels of food that was allowed to people in Gaza as it was just a draft.

By 2010 restrictions in Gaza was eased followed by the international outcry of killing of nine Turkish nationals by Israel during a navy raid on a ship in a trial to break the blockage.

The Red Lines file was made available to Gisha after fighting and three-and-a-half year legal battle and the documents of the file mentioned in its recommendations that a minimum of 106 food trucks per working day was to be sent in the Gaza strip, whereas sending of 67 trucks on an average remained in practice.