The person who comes to mind when I talk about Gaza is probably the Hamas government. It’s a scary presence, with the odds against it being any better. But for the people in Gaza, there are also some pretty unique opportunities out there. Citizens of the world are watching from a distance as Hamas and Israel fight on different fronts in one of the most violent conflicts in recent history. The Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPP) is home to approximately 600,000 Palestinians, many of whom live under siege by Israel and its allies, including Hamas and other militant groups operating from inside Gaza. Israel maintains control over all land within the OPP, but all travelers are expected to respect that control. Gaza’s residents have a lot of options for getting out. Some have already left—a majority did so voluntarily over the past few years—but others do not know which cities or towns will take them south and westward into before their final journey ends Saturday night.
What’s next for Palestinians in Gaza?
Before you get to the details of how to get out, it’s important to understand how the OPP governance works in the Gaza Strip. Since the start of the conflict in 2000, Hamas and its competitors in the OPP have used various strategies to stay in control of their home turf. Among the most successful have been the de-facto rule of martial law (DMR) and the use of assisted suicide by inmates of Israeli jails. Both operations have been condemned by international human rights organizations, who have called for an end to martial law in both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
Why Is Israel’s Occupation on Gaza so Hard to Understand?
One of the most obvious things to start with is the question of why Israel is taking part in this conflict in the first place. The Occupied Territories, which comprises the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, were separated in waters that extended back more than two thousand five hundred years. A major barrier, the Allen Map, marks the dividing line between the two, but most of modern-day Palestine is located within its boundaries.
How Does a Palestinian Man Feel About Being in Gaza?
Again, another obvious question. For Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip, being in the country is defined not by where you live but by how you want to spend your afterlife. The majority of people want to live in the Old City or in the South Hebron hills, but there are also those who settle in the central Negev and others who choose to live in the Gaza Strip. All this is laid out in the main “ographics” of the areas you visit.
What is an OTP Areas Board and How Can I Join One?
First and foremost, it’s important to understand that the OTP areas are managed by the officially wrinky recognized administration of the West Bank, the so-called “ Owens-coast”. The areas fall under the direct supervision of the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah, but these are portable boards that can be used by members of other activist groups to access nearby areas.
Future of the OTP: Settlement Construction and Expulsion
As the conflict in Gaza networthexposed makes more people aware of the situation, the Israeli government has been flexing its military muscle. On November 6, 2016, an Israeli military operation in the West Bank and East Jerusalem confirmed the start of construction on the final Katyusha rocket range—an important step for the industry that has been struggling to compete with the growing number of explosive detectors. But even before that, the government had been extending its bombing campaign in the OPP areas.
Conclusion
The situation in the Gaza sdasrinagar Strip has been difficult for the Palestinians for years. The ongoing hostilities have led to the depletion of the country’s water, gas and electricity reserves, which are then used to power the thousands of settlements and their dependencies built on the West Bank since the end of World War II. As a result, much of the Palestinian territory has been left Governed by a series of reluctant ceasefires, agreements and uneasy partnerships. The situation in Gaza is only likely to get more difficult before the end of the year. It’s important for Palestinians to understand that this is a process, not an one-off conflict. If anything, it should be studied as part of the ongoing struggle of the Palestinians for freedom.
