Gaza strip blockage

Following the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza in , the terrorist organization Hamas emerged as the victor in the Palestinian elections. Three conditions were set to lift these economic sanctions: Hamas must renounce violence against Israel, recognize Israel, and honor all previous agreements between Israel and the Palestinian Authority PA. To prevent smuggling and the infiltration of terrorists, Israel and Egypt tightened their respective border crossings and placed restrictions on shipping. Though Israel is routinely condemned for enforcing the blockade, critics usually ignore the role of Egypt, which must cooperate to close the southern end of the Gaza Strip.

Restrictions on the Gaza Strip are part of a sequence going back decades predating Hamas control, analysts say. This summer marks an important but often overlooked anniversary in the history of the Gaza Strip. Thirty years ago, in June , Israel imposed for the first time a magnetic-card system to restrict the exit of Palestinian residents. Anyone denied a card would be prevented from leaving.

In autumn Israel declared the Gaza Strip under Hamas a hostile entity and approved a series of sanctions that included power cuts, heavily restricted imports, and border closures. In January , facing sustained rocket assaults into its southern settlements, Israel broadened its sanctions, completely sealing its border with the Gaza Strip and temporarily preventing fuel imports. Egyptian Pres.

Restrictions intensified in June , following the takeover of that part of the occupied Palestinian territory oPt by Hamas, when Israel imposed a land, sea and air blockade on Gaza, citing security concerns. Despite relaxation of some blockade-related restrictions in recent years, 1. The blockade has undermined the living conditions in the coastal enclave and fragmented the oPt and its economic and social fabric. The isolation of Gaza has been exacerbated by restrictions imposed by the Egyptian authorities on Rafah, its single passengers crossing. In Gaza, severe limb injuries caused by live ammunition have created a substantial burden on the already overstrained health system.