Apartheid and Blockade in Gaza: Life Under Siege
Introduction
Under the Israeli apartheid system, Palestinians are divided into four territorial units, each experiencing varying degrees of oppression and control. This article focuses on the Gaza Strip, home to 2 million Palestinians, many of whom are descendants of those expelled from their homes during the 1948 Nakba.
Though Israel withdrew ground troops and dismantled Jewish settlements in Gaza in 2005, the strip remains under a devastating siege and military occupation, integral to Israel’s broader apartheid regime.
A Life of Confinement
The Gaza Strip, one of the most densely populated areas on Earth, spans just 365 km² along the Mediterranean coast. Nearly 75% of its residents are refugees forcibly displaced from their ancestral homes. In 2007, after Hamas came to power in Gaza, Israel declared it “hostile territory,” imposing a land, air, and sea blockade that has isolated Gaza and decimated its economy. Now in its 14th year, the blockade has reduced Gaza to an open-air prison.
Control Over Land
Israel maintains authority over two of Gaza’s three land crossings. The third, controlled by Egypt, operates under an agreement that ensures no goods or people can pass without Israeli coordination.
Israel denies farmers access to over a third of Gaza’s arable land, enforcing a “buffer zone” along the border where Palestinians risk being shot if they venture too far. Since 2014, Israel has also sprayed herbicides near the separation fence, destroying Palestinian crops and livelihoods.
Dominance Over Air and Sea
Israel retains full control of Gaza’s airspace, frequently flying drones and military planes overhead. Gaza’s only airport, destroyed in the early 2000s, remains unrepaired due to Israeli obstruction.
The situation is equally dire at sea. Israel destroyed Gaza’s seaport and limits Palestinian fishing to a narrow zone just six nautical miles offshore, far from waters rich with fish. Fishermen who cross these boundaries face live fire, arrests, and confiscation of their equipment.
Restricted Movement and Medical Access
Israel’s blockade has effectively cut Gaza off from the other Palestinian territories, part of a deliberate policy to fragment Palestinian society.
Gaza’s medical infrastructure has been severely weakened by the blockade. Patients requiring life-saving treatments in the West Bank or East Jerusalem face significant barriers, with Israel rejecting or ignoring up to half of medical travel permits. For Palestinians trapped during Israeli military campaigns, the lack of escape routes means there is “no safe place to go.”
Economic Strangulation
The blockade restricts goods essential for daily life. Israel’s expansive list of banned “dual-use” items includes medical equipment, water pumps, and even toys, notebooks, and chocolate at various times. This policy acts as a form of collective economic punishment rather than a legitimate security measure.
The blockade has led to chronic shortages of basic necessities:
- Gaza’s only power station operates intermittently, leaving residents with just four hours of electricity daily.
- 97% of the water supply is unfit for human consumption.
- 50% of the population relies on UN food aid, while 75% face food insecurity.
Unemployment is among the highest in the world, with most residents living below the poverty line.
Targeted Violence and Bombardment
Israel has conducted repeated military operations in Gaza, inflicting severe casualties and destruction. In May 2021 alone, Israeli airstrikes killed 250 Palestinians, including over 60 children, and destroyed critical infrastructure, including Gaza’s only COVID-19 testing center. Over 100,000 people were displaced, with 20,000 homes damaged or demolished.
Conclusion
The Israeli blockade and recurring bombardments have turned Gaza into a humanitarian catastrophe. What the UN warned in 2012—that Gaza would become unlivable by 2020—has already come true. As the siege persists, 2 million civilians endure collective punishment, cut off from the world and deprived of their most basic rights.