Even after implementation of the “disengagement plan,” Israel continues to control the crossing of people into the Gaza Strip and out of it. One and a half million residents of the Strip depend on Israeli approval every time they want to leave the Strip, for whatever purpose - to meet with their relatives living outside the area, to study abroad, to receive advanced medical treatment, to find employment, to conduct business, to go on vacation, or to visit holy sites.

Israel has recognized that the West Bank and the Gaza Strip comprise one territorial unit. However, crossing between the two areas, which must be done via Israel, is almost impossible and requires special permits that Israel almost never issues. Gaza residents caught in the West Bank without a permit are considered to be staying illegally and are expelled to the Strip. Palestinians who have lived in the West Bank for many years and have established families there are returned to the Strip and Israel refuses to recognize their change of address.

Israel also continues to control the entry of “foreigners” into the Gaza Strip. Under the Crossings Agreement made between the PA and Israel in November 2005, the Palestinian Authority had the authority to permit entry into the Strip via Rafah Crossing only to "Palestinian residents," i.e. individuals who are registered in the Palestinian population registry and hold Palestinian identity cards. Entry was monitored by representatives of the European Union, who were present at the crossing. Also, Israeli security officials monitored the crossing by viewing cameras positioned there and by checking lists of the persons passing through. In July 2006, following the abduction of the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, Israel ceased to carry out its part of the agreement and closed the crossing for 265 days in the year following the abduction.

After Hamas took control of the Strip, Israel announced it was freezing the Crossings Agreement, contending it was not able to monitor who passed there. With Hamas being in control, Palestinian forces who operated the crossing on behalf of the Palestinian Authority were unable to get there, and the European observers suspended their activity because the European Union refused to cooperate with Hamas. Since it was impossible to implement the agreement, Egypt closed the crossing and the agreement ceased to apply. Since then, Egypt has only opened the border in exceptional cases, a practice which does not properly meet the needs of the residents of the Strip.

"Foreign" residents, except those in a few categories, are only allowed to enter the Gaza Strip via the Kerem Shalom and Erez crossings, which are under Israel's sole control. Control over the entry of "foreigners" enables Israel to continue to control family unification between Gaza residents and their spouses who are foreign residents, and to prevent the entry of journalists and representatives of human rights organizations into the area. For example, during the 22 days of Operation Cast Lead, Israel refused to issue entry permits to journalists. The prohibition was not removed even after the Israeli High Court of Justice ordered the state, on 2 January, to enable the entry of members of the Foreign Press Association. The IDF has also prevented human rights organizations, B'Tselem among them, to enter the Strip, even following the operation.

As part of its siege on the Strip, Israel further tightened its control over who enters or leaves the Strip. In June 2007, Israel closed the passenger terminal at Erez and announced that persons would be allowed to cross as a “humanitarian gesture.” However, as we have seen over the past two years, in clearly humanitarian cases as well, Israel does not always enable people to cross.

Among other things, Israel heavily restricts the exit of persons needing medical treatment that cannot be obtained in the Strip. According to UN figures, of 10,458 requests Israel received in 2008 to leave the Strip for medical purposes, 4,157 (40 percent) were rejected or delayed, causing the patients to miss their hospital appointments. This policy is especially grave considering the poor condition of the health system in the Strip prior to the siege, a result of the lack of investment in infrastructure and of trained physicians and medical personnel, problems that have existed for many years.