Israeli forces detained 175 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip since the beginning of 2015, a Palestinian human rights center said.

Among the 175 Palestinians, 43 were arrested while trying to cross the northern terminal of Erez, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights said.

The Israeli authorities abuse the Gaza-Israel crossing to coerce Palestinians from Gaza in order to extract information about their families, communities and neighbors, it added.

The Israeli policies constitute a violation of the right to freedom of movement, it said, adding that the violations are part and parcel of Israel’s policy of closure and siege of the Gaza Strip, which amounts to a form of collective punishment in violation of international law.

The center condemned the practices and called on the international community to uphold its obligations under international law and obliged Israel to respect international legal principles.

Sources: MENA