Israel’s choking stranglehold in Gaza has posed a crippling challenge to Palestinians, one which leaves them no choice but to rely on ingenuity and resourcefulness to survive.
Ever since Israel cut off fuel shipments forcing the only Gaza power generator to shut down, residents living in darkness unable to power their cookers have had limited options. If they’re lucky they can afford to buy diesel smuggled in through tunnels from Egypt.
However, if buying basics such as food is a problem, as is the case with the majority of the 1.5 million Gazans, then they have to make do with the little that they have.
Crowds of women bring trays of already-prepared food and unbaked bread to bakeries like that of Khalil Awad’s, who charges them a relatively meagre fee to put it in his oven. It should be pointed out that Awad has only managed to stay in business by using dirty oil drained off from car engines to power the equipment. With flour supplies quickly dwindling his competitors have resorted to using animal feed to make bread.
Israel closed the border after Hamas fired rockets in response to the Israeli raid on November 4 which killed five Palestinian militants. Houses in the Hamas-controlled region are now plunged into darkness for 16-20 hours per day and the aid supplies of food and medicine, which more than half of the population desperately depend on, are running out. To top it off journalists and media crew have been barred from entering the region as have doctors and European diplomats.
Although the UN criticised the siege, calling it “an assault on human dignity with severe humanitarian implications”, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert denies that there is a humanitarian crisis claiming: “The situation in Gaza is much better than presented outside.”
Well Prime Minister Olmert, if you had not banned journalists from entering Gaza perhaps they would have been able to better present the situation as it is – or, as most media outlets have noted, perhaps that’s exactly what you’re afraid of.
Still, Olmert insists “We haven’t done anything in Gaza that we should be ashamed of. If anything, Hamas should be ashamed.”
Israel’s stance is a dangerously reckless one. Whilst tit for tat is appropriate for the playground it has disastrous consequences for innocent civilians if played out between countries. By cutting off Palestinians’ supply to basic necessities the Israeli government has achieved a temporary sort of revenge against Hamas – but it’s one that is likely to later shoot it in the foot.
In the long-term Israel's actions would have only further fuelled the anger and resentment felt by Palestinian citizens who have no affiliation with the political parties Israel wants to exact vengence on but are paying the price nonetheless.
As one man who was queuing for subsidised bread put it: “Israel is pushing us to explode. God willing we will explode in their faces.”
Crowds of women bring trays of already-prepared food and unbaked bread to bakeries like that of Khalil Awad’s, who charges them a relatively meagre fee to put it in his oven. It should be pointed out that Awad has only managed to stay in business by using dirty oil drained off from car engines to power the equipment. With flour supplies quickly dwindling his competitors have resorted to using animal feed to make bread.
Israel closed the border after Hamas fired rockets in response to the Israeli raid on November 4 which killed five Palestinian militants. Houses in the Hamas-controlled region are now plunged into darkness for 16-20 hours per day and the aid supplies of food and medicine, which more than half of the population desperately depend on, are running out. To top it off journalists and media crew have been barred from entering the region as have doctors and European diplomats.
Although the UN criticised the siege, calling it “an assault on human dignity with severe humanitarian implications”, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert denies that there is a humanitarian crisis claiming: “The situation in Gaza is much better than presented outside.”
Well Prime Minister Olmert, if you had not banned journalists from entering Gaza perhaps they would have been able to better present the situation as it is – or, as most media outlets have noted, perhaps that’s exactly what you’re afraid of.
Still, Olmert insists “We haven’t done anything in Gaza that we should be ashamed of. If anything, Hamas should be ashamed.”
Israel’s stance is a dangerously reckless one. Whilst tit for tat is appropriate for the playground it has disastrous consequences for innocent civilians if played out between countries. By cutting off Palestinians’ supply to basic necessities the Israeli government has achieved a temporary sort of revenge against Hamas – but it’s one that is likely to later shoot it in the foot.
In the long-term Israel's actions would have only further fuelled the anger and resentment felt by Palestinian citizens who have no affiliation with the political parties Israel wants to exact vengence on but are paying the price nonetheless.
As one man who was queuing for subsidised bread put it: “Israel is pushing us to explode. God willing we will explode in their faces.”
Image: Ahmad Deeb
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