Written question asked by David Cairns (Labour) on Friday, 11 February 2011, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 15 February 2011. It was answered by Alan Duncan (Conservative) on Monday, 28 February 2011 on behalf of the Department for International Development.

Palestinians: Emigration

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the number of Palestinians who left the Gaza Strip in October 2010 to enter (a) Israel, (b) Egypt, (c) the West Bank and (d) other countries.

Answer: The UK Government do not hold comprehensive statistics on the movement of people into or out of Gaza. Gaza has two pedestrian crossing points: at Erez (with Israel) and at Rafah (with Egypt). The World Health Organisation (WHO) report that in October 2010 709 Palestinian patients exited Gaza at Erez for medical treatment. We do not have information on numbers of non-patients exiting through Erez, or their final destinations. The UN reports that approximately 360 people per day were able to leave Gaza through the Rafah crossing between June 2010 and January 2011. We do not have information on their final destinations. WHO estimates that an average of 600 Gazan patients per month entered Egypt through Rafah for medical treatment in Egyptian hospitals, between June 2010 and January 2011.

Secondary information