"[By] all accounts, and according to the indicators chosen by the UN, life in Gaza is palpably worse now than it was in 2012. For example, the unemployment rate went from 29% when the [UN] report was written to 45% today, with the rate at more than 60% among young Palestinians."
"In 2012, the United Nations published a report whose title asked a jarring question: 'Gaza in 2020: A Liveable Place?' The report surmised that without fundamental change and collective effort, the strip would become 'unlivable' in only eight years’ time" - by 2020...
"The report was released just months before the second of three Israeli military operations that would be launched in Gaza over a period of six years."
"Following the third operation, Protective Edge, in 2014, with its massive toll in human life + damage to civilian infrastructure, UN officials subsequently warned
that the strip would actually become unlivable by 2018."
that the strip would actually become unlivable by 2018."
Now "the capacity for electricity production in the strip has remained unchanged over the past 8 years, despite increased demand as the population grew from
1.6 million to nearly 2 million. Electricity supply even got worse"
[Egyptian lines haven't operated since early 2018.]
1.6 million to nearly 2 million. Electricity supply even got worse"
[Egyptian lines haven't operated since early 2018.]
And "Aquifer water is 96% undrinkable, as predicted. Households spend precious income on purchasing drinking water, which is not always safe; and given that
many families cannot afford to purchase water, water-borne illnesses, especially among children, are widespread."
many families cannot afford to purchase water, water-borne illnesses, especially among children, are widespread."
"Gaza has been gradually cut off and isolated by Israel over decades; and in 2007, when Hamas took power in the strip, Israel all but hermetically sealed off the territory. Israeli officials made a calculus – literally – that applying pressure wld help achieve..political goals"
"Micro changes" have given some relief to Palestinians in Gaza [but] haven't reversed the strip’s macro deterioration. Rather than transforming the situation, Israel + other regional actors are simply searching for a new calculus to achieve 'quiet' by making Gaza more survivable"
In line with this objective, Egypt began regularly operating the Rafah Crossing..in 2018, after keeping it mostly closed for 5 yrs. Qatar also stepped forward w/ massive financial support in 2018-2019, paying for fuel for electricity generation + giving cash payments to the poor"
But "It is an illusion to think this situation is manageable. No one should be sleeping soundly at night until there's a significant shift in approach - so civilians are not held hostage to the actions of their de facto govt + are not turned into fodder during ISR elex campaigns"
And, GISHA's Tania Hary writes, "there has never been a fundamental decision
on the part of Israel to actually let people live in Gaza, rather than just survive... Human beings are not machines + many of the indicators that make life worth living can't be found in a UN report."
on the part of Israel to actually let people live in Gaza, rather than just survive... Human beings are not machines + many of the indicators that make life worth living can't be found in a UN report."
