Israel has completely closed all of its border crossings with Gazans as it begins to mark the week-long Jewish Passover holiday.

Israel and Egypt have put Gaza under tight siege since June 2007 when Hamas took control of the coastal enclave.

Palestinians believe that the Jewish holidays are only an excuse for Israel to make life harder for the Palestinians, a Press TV correspondent reported.

"I think this is consistent with Israel’s policies which have been practiced against the Palestinian people since 1948," a Palestinian political analyst, Haldar Eld, told Press TV.

"I think this is the policy of collective punishment in violation of international law."

Israel and Egypt have ensured that only the bare minimum humanitarian goods reach Gaza residents.

Besides closing the crossings, Israel and Egypt continue to limit the quantity of the goods allowed into the Gaza Strip and open it temporarily only on specific occasions.

The general closure was also imposed on the West Bank from midnight until the end of Passover next Monday

Israel controls six of the seven border crossings into the Gaza Strip. The seventh one is controlled by Egypt which has refused to permanently re-open it.

Israel claims the closure of crossings, on occasions like Jewish Passover holiday, is for security reasons.

(Press TV)