Although Israel withdrew its soldiers and settlements from the Gaza Strip in 2005, that does not mean it has completely ended its occupation. It still controls everything that happens whether inside or outside the Gaza Strip, whether through land crossings or through the sea and air, as Azza has no control over its borders, airspace or sea, and the occupation controls the population register in Gaza, which means that only Israel determines who is entitled to register as a resident of the Strip.
In addition, the occupation controls communication networks and many services that are essential and directly affect the lives of people in Gaza. Moreover, Israel has not assumed its legal responsibility to protect civilians in Gaza, but has imposed a suffocating blockade on the Gaza Strip. It has imposed a suffocating siege and prevented the people of Gaza from all their needs.
How the blockade of Gaza began
After Hamas won the Palestinian legislative elections in January 2006, Israel began to impose a total blockade on the Gaza Strip, and took control of the entire Gaza Strip in June 2007, and then Israel tightened this blockade, considering it a hostile entity, to justify the imposition of more and more inhuman sanctions. The sanctions imposed by Israel directly affected the lives of civilians, restricting the entry of the most basic commodities and preventing the free movement of people to and from the Strip, adding to the suffering of civilians.
Over the following years, Israel sought to increase this isolation, cutting off Gaza from the rest of the Palestinian territory, especially the West Bank and East Jerusalem, making communication between the Palestinian people more difficult.
In addition to imposing restrictions on the movement of Gazans, the occupation controls the type and quantities of goods allowed into the Strip, and this has led to an economic paralysis and almost complete paralysis within the Strip. The blockade has led to alarmingly high rates of poverty and unemployment among the population.
One of the most affected by this situation was the health sector, because hospitals and natural centers lack many basic tools and supplies, and patients often wait several months to receive treatment or to perform necessary surgeries.
Making the whole situation worse, Israel has carried out major military attacks on the Gaza Strip during the years of siege, causing thousands of civilian deaths, destroying tens of thousands of homes and buildings, and causing major destruction to infrastructure, making it impossible to live in the Strip.
History of the Occupation Siege
In 2007, Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip, and Israel declared the territory a hostile entity. What happened next was disastrous, with Israel imposing a series of sanctions, including cuts in electricity supplies, reduced access for goods and the closure of border crossings.
In January 2008, as gunfire increased and rockets continued from Gaza towards Israeli settlements in response to the crimes and killings of civilians, Israel imposed more sanctions and expanded its crimes.
On 14 November 2012, Israel began a massive air attack on the Gaza Strip, in which Hamas military wing commander Ahmed Jabari was targeted and killed. This attack led to a major escalation in fighting between the two sides, and clashes continued for several days, until a ceasefire agreement was reached on 21 November of the same year.
In June 2014, Israel intensified its airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, and in response, Hamas fired rockets at Israel as retaliation. Israel then launched a massive military offensive that lasted for 50 days, one of the longest and heaviest military operations on the Strip.
In May 2021, there was a sharp escalation in the situation in Jerusalem, especially after the Israeli courts issued decisions to expel a number of Palestinian families from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, in favor of Israeli settlers.
This led to widespread protests in Jerusalem, escalating confrontations between Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli police forces. Israel has carried out airstrikes in the Strip, causing widespread destruction of buildings and infrastructure in Gaza.
In October 2023, Israel imposed a complete siege, which led to a humanitarian catastrophe, as the people of Gaza are living in a cycle of poverty and deprivation never seen before, as the situation of the people of Gaza has deteriorated significantly at all levels.
Even if a ceasefire is reached and humanitarian aid begins to enter the Strip, the suffering will not end quickly, because most Gazans will remain trapped for years in difficult conditions of poverty and need, due to the large number of dead and wounded, and the widespread destruction of infrastructure.
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