Israel’s blockade of Gaza has created an open-air prison for Palestinians living on the tiny strip of land.
Israel controls their electricity, internet access, border crossings, and what food and supplies are allowed into Gaza
There are people who get offended when someone describes Gaza as an “open-air prison.” It seems to describe Gaza, especially when you consider that the Palestinians are trapped inside the Strip, Israel controls their utilities (Israel has cut the electricity and internet access as a punishment. In fact, they did so at the beginning of the current “war.”) including water (which is contaminated.), and Israel controls what and how much food, medical supplies, and fuel can enter the Gaza Strip.
Take all of that into consideration, including the fact that the blockade of the Gaza Strip means they are unable to come and go as they please. Palestinians who need to leave Gaza in order to seek medical treatment have to apply for permission. People have died while waiting for their application to be approved. Does Gaza sound like there is a population of free citizens living there? Or does it sound more like a prison?
Israel’s blockade of Gaza: key facts
✔️ Israeli forces restrict access off the Gaza coast, currently only allowing fishermen to access 50% of the fishing waters allocated for this purpose under the Oslo Accords.
✔️ Unemployment levels in Gaza are amongst the highest in the world: the Q1 jobless rate in 2022 was 46.6%, compared with an average of 34.8% in 2006. Youth unemployment for the same period (age 15-29) stands at 62.5%. (PCBS)
✔️ 31% of households in Gaza have difficulties meeting essential education needs such as tuition fees and books, due to lack of financial resources.
✔️ 1.3 million out of 2.1 million Palestinians in Gaza (62%) require food assistance.
✔️ At its current operating capacity, the Gaza Power Plant can only produce up to 80 megawatts (MW), supplemented by 120 MW purchased from Israel, meeting about 50% of the electricity demand in Gaza (400-450MW). In 2021, rolling power cuts averaged 11 hours per day.
✔️ 78% of piped water in Gaza is unfit for human consumption.
Source: Unicef
Palestinian voices
Oxfam, an organization that provides electronic food vouchers to the people of Gaza, spoke to Palestinians about the ways in which the blockade of Gaza has impacted their lives.
“Because of the wall, there is no freedom at all, no liberty. Live has completely changed from what it was before. There is no peace of mind at all. I only think about keeping my children safe and out of harm’s way.”
Um Fadi, widow and mother of 7
“We have to use candles during electricity outages; we can’t afford to buy a battery. Recently my son lit a candle and left it burning. Thank God I found it during the night.”
Abeer Al Sawi, mother of 6 who lives in Sarwarka, one of the poorest neighborhoods in Gaza city
“I totally depend on the electronic vouchers throughout the year, but especially during Ramadan. It allows me to purchase dairy, oils, legumes and many other important food items. This voucher brings life to my family. In the holy month of Ramadan, I pray for all who are supporting us.”
Mnwar
trapped in a war zone
How could someone read all of those statistics and still claim that Israel’s blockade and occupation does not create a prison for Palestinians? Imagine watching 2,000 pound bombs being dropped on homes and picking up the body parts of the children who were killed. Now consider the fact that you have nowhere to go. You can’t run or hide when Israel is blocking every exit to leave the strip.
Israel has trapped an entire population in a tiny area so that it can starve them and drop bombs on them while they are unable to avoid the attacks. That is cowardly, war-criminal behavior.
The people of Gaza aren’t allowed to resist the blockade of Gaza or Israel’s occupation in any way. It is sometimes said that the need for the occupation and the border wall is the fact that Palestinians “hate Israel.” It’s shocking that a country actively occupying a region, that is responsible for so many deaths from past attacks or caused by the blockade preventing people from accessing medical treatment, expects the people of that reason to love them—to feel anything for them besides hate and anger.
It is not possible to use violence as a way to earn adoration and respect. Perhaps dictators have done so, but the expressed respect is not real. The people will only pretend to feel that way in order to avoid violence and retribution. The people of Gaza cannot fight back or resist the occupation without the world labeling them as terrorists and Israel defending itself, resulting in more war and death. It may seem nonsensical to characterize a country’s resistance to an occupation as “terrorism,” but the mainstream media, politicians bought by AIPAC, and Israel’s defenders will spin a narrative of “unprovoked aggression from violent Muslim animals against a peaceful country that just wants to have the right to exist.”
Benjamin Netanyahu and the IDF are the real terrorists. They have killed 45,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. That number doesn’t include all of the bodies that are rotting under rubble.
—International Consortium of Investigative Journalists
The number also doesn’t include the record numbers of journalists and their families who have been targeted (99). It doesn’t include the record number of humanitarian aid workers (175). Doctors, surgeons, and the last orthopedic surgeon left in Gaza that was killed in his car recently are not included in that number either.
IDF Shoots Hostages
Don’t forget the three Israeli hostages that escaped captivity after being taken by Hamas during the October 7 attack. They used leftover food to spell out an SOS message. When they spotted IDF soldiers, they removed their shirts so the soldiers could see they had no weapons. They waved white flags and were speaking Hebrew. They were shot and killed by the very soldiers they believed were going to save them. This incident provided the “proof” that every citizen of Gaza was to be shot on sight.
Israel claims alot of these incidents were “accidents,” but it’s become more and more obvious that they are intentional killings.
Pain and Suffering
WARNING: Graphic image coming up showing a fire burning after an Israeli airstrike on a tent in Gaza. A person’s arm can be seen through the flames. (appears after 4 paragraphs if you prefer to quickly scroll past the fire photo.)
Put yourself in the shoes of a person living in Gaza. Imagine that a foreign country is occupying your state. They control the utilities and you have to apply for permission to leave the state. You sometimes run out of food and medical supplies. You hate waiting for your application to be approved so you can visit family in another state.
The foreign soldiers will sometimes turn off access to wifi and electricity if people are sharing photos and stories about whats happening on social media. Would you consider yourself to be free? Or would you feel like you were trapped with no control over your life?
Palestinians have been suffering—feeling unseen and unheard by the rest of the world. Right now there are children dying of starvation due to Israel’s blockade. The IDF has bombed and destroyed almost all of Northern Gaza. That includes hospitals, churches, and schools. Over 85% of Palestinians have been displaced with no home to return to. (that is 1.9 million people)
The entire population of Gaza is crammed into the South end, living in tent communities and refugee camps. Now Israel has started bombing the tent communities and refugee camps. Not that they weren’t doing that before, but the situation is different now. Hamas leadership is dead, the only people left are innocent civilians.
A 19-year-old engineer was videotaped burning alive after a bomb struck the camp he was staying in. His outstretched arm, pleading for help can be seen in the flames.
Israel both privately and publicly have said they are pushing Palestinians out of Gaza so they can take the land. They’re callling it a “buffer zone.” Meanwhile they continue to annex the West Bank.
South Africa has accused Israel of genocide. Other people both professional and human rights activists have called it an “ethnic cleansing’ or genocide. The United States continues to send the weapons Israel uses to kill more citizens of Gaza and continues its blind support of Israel.
Even after the ICC issued a warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu for war crimes, support continues. The United States is breaking the rule that says no country will aid the military of another country if it is committing genocide.
The horrible, cruel, bloody war has been unbearable for the people of Gaza, as they watch their family members die around them, their children dying of malnutrition. The list of horrors continues.
And finally, we cannot forget to mention the children being shot in the head by IDF snipers. Or the AI program creating lists of targets, or Where’s Daddy that monitors men in Gaza and once they are home with family, the IDF bombs the house.
Israel’s blockade of Gaza has caused the Palestinians so much pain. Their lives are spent in an open-air prison where it is difficult to find hope in being free one day.
With Israel’s plans to take over land in Gaza and further annex the West Bank, the people of Gaza are even farther away from achieving independence and freedom. Regardless, they are resilient and determined.
Netanyahu has murdered journalists to prevent the truth getting out. The more people who know what’s happening in Gaza, the harder it is for human rights violations to continue. Support the efforts of Palestinians to one day experience freedom from oppression by sharing this post with others.
Additional Resources
Unicef has an excellent pdf explaining all of the details of the blockade of Gaza. The second page is an infographic with a tin of information.
Questions From Readers
What’s the problem between Israel and Gaza?
The answer to this question is an entire book on the history of the region. There is not enough space to properly answer it here. A brief version of the answer follows.
The ongoing settlements in the West Bank are one cause of the tension between the two, but Israel’s blockade of Gaza and over a decade of occupation is one cause of the ongoing conflict. For a detailed history of conflict between the two regions in a piece called: Gaza war: What is the history of the Israel-Palestinian conflict
What are the main causes of the conflict between Israel and Gaza?
The conflict’s main causes include territorial disputes, historical grievances, security concerns, and competing national identities. Key issues involve Israel’s occupation of Gaza, the status of Palestinian refugees, the recognition of Israel as a state, and the ongoing violence between Israeli forces and Palestinian militant groups.
How does the blockade of Gaza impact the region’s humanitarian situation?
The blockade of Gaza, imposed by Israel and Egypt, restricts the movement of people and goods, leading to significant humanitarian challenges. It results in limited access to essential services, medical care, and economic opportunities, exacerbating poverty and contributing to a deteriorating living environment for the population.
Can Israeli citizens enter Gaza?
According to the State Department’s travel information for citizens visiting Israel, Bethlehem, and Jericho, Israeli citizens are prohibited from using the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge crossing. They are also prohibited from entering Gaza and are generally prohibited from traveling to parts of the West Bank under PA control (Area A), to include Bethlehem and Jericho. www.travel.state.gov
Why did Israel start attacking the Gaza Strip?
Israel has attacked Gaza several times over the years, but their latest attack began after October 7, 2023 when Hamas militants broke through the wall separating Israel and Gaza, some parachuting in. They attacked, raped and killed over 1,000 Israeli citizens, taking 200+ people hostage, and returning to Gaza with them.
Why did Hamas take hostages?
They took hostages because they are a terrorist organization, but they were probably also concerned about retaliation by the Israeli military. Having hostages gives them leverage in negotiations. During the first cease-fire, some of the hostages were released and returned to Israel (women and children).
Unfortunately, Netanyahu and the right-wing government of Israel don’t seem to be concerned about a safe return of all hostages. Constant bombing of Gaza using 2,000-pound bombs called “bunker busters” have been dropped in residential areas, destroying the infrastructure of North Gaza, leaving 85% of the population without a home.
If the hostages were being held in any of the buildings in Gaza, including hospitals, churches, schools, and refugee camps, there’s a high chance that hostages have been injured or killed by the IDF.
