2023-11-14 02:54:21
With more than two million people crammed into 360 square kilometers and its progressive confinement and limitation of resources, The Gaza Strip has gradually become the largest concentration camp in the world.
Population in Gaza, Palestine / Map: EA
The Gazan population is trapped in a tiny part of what was their territory and from which they must now flee or risk dying in the war, persecution and bombings for which they are massacred.
Till the date Israel’s bombings have already killed 11,180 people, including 4,609 girls and boys from Palestineaccording to the Gaza Ministry of Health.
Refugee camps in the Gaza Strip / Infographic: EcoAvant.com
This situation in Palestine began with the UN partition plan of 1947, when the historic Palestinian territory was divided into two states, one Jewish and the other Arab. The consequent Arab-Israeli war of 1948 generated an exodus of 700,000 Palestinians who fled their home as the Israeli army advanced towards them. When the occupation offensive ended and the displaced wanted to return to their places of origin, they found it completely impossible to return to their houses and homes. So, What were tents designed for a momentary escape from an invasion, ended up becoming refugee citieswhere Palestinians expelled from their lands lived together in overcrowded conditions, hoping for a return that would never happen.
Palestinian refugee status extends to both those 700,000 originally displaced people and all their descendants, which is estimated at a total of 5.9 million refugees today. These millions of people are dispersed between the Palestinian territory and the Arab countries around it with a total of 58 camps for people fleeing the terror of violence and death.
The Palestinian refugee status extends to both those 700,000 originally displaced people and all their descendants, who are estimated at a total of 5.9 million refugees today. These millions of people are dispersed between the Palestinian territory and the Arab countries around it with a total of 58 camps for people fleeing the terror of violence and death.
These camps are distributed in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. Thus, to the more than 1.5 million refugees in Gaza and the 900,000 in the West Bank, there are more than 2.3 million Palestinians displaced to Jordan, 580,000 in Syria and 480,000 in Lebanon.
Added to this situation of forced displacement of the population from their homes is Israel’s progressive blockade of the Gaza Strip. Since Hamas came to power in 2007, the Israeli embargo has gradually stifled the way of life of Gazans.. Israel began closing border crossings as well as the Nahal Oz fuel supply point in 2010 to increase the Strip’s energy dependence. In addition, the two crossings with Israeli territory that remained open, Erez and Kerem Shalom, were governed under exhaustive control with all types of restrictions on the trade of goods and merchandise from Gaza with abroad.
Until the current new offensive, only the Rafah crossing towards Egypt, the only border that Gaza did not share with Israel, was a breath of fresh air that allowed minimal interaction of Gazans with the outside, although with the latest conflict it has also been closed tightly, opening only in dribs and drabs for the arrival of a few convoys of humanitarian aid
Until the current new offensive, only the Rafah crossing towards Egypt, the only border that Gaza did not share with Israelwas a breath of fresh air that allowed a minimum interaction of Gazans with the outside, although with the latest conflict it has also been closed tight, opening only in dribs and drabs for the arrival of a few humanitarian aid convoys and to allow the departure of foreign citizens and some Palestinians with permission to leave Gaza.
If this limitation of borders were not enough, Israel developed a wall that completely surrounds the Gaza Strip. This concrete wall consists of an exclusion zone on the Gaza side, multiple surveillance towers, and in 2021 an underground barrier was completed to corroborate the total isolation of the Strip.
This isolation without being able to go out, interact, have resources or expectations It keeps a very young population imprisoned in its territory, with an average age of 18 years, which suffers a huge unemployment rate and has no possibility of finding means or resources. to develop a life with the minimum standards of quality and human dignity.
The current conflict has only accentuated this painful situation. In such a densely populated location, Israeli military actions have caused a new exodus of the population of the Strip. On several occasions, Israel has called on Gazans to leave the northern half to the south so as not to be injured in its operations, including in this request the 700,000 inhabitants of the capital of Gaza.
This new displacement will generate a greater concentration of population in the southern half of the Strip, with the camps absolutely saturated. Refugees who had achieved something resembling a home will once again become second-level refugees, fleeing from what they had converted into a precarious house to what will now be absolute homelessness.
This new displacement will generate a greater concentration of population in the southern half of the Strip, with the camps absolutely saturated. Refugees who had achieved something resembling a home will once again become second-level refugees, fleeing from what they had converted into a precarious house to what will now be absolute homelessness..
In fact, there are currently 1.5 million internally displaced people in Gaza.with more than 700,000 people staying in UN facilities, 120,000 in hospitals, churches or public buildings, 130,000 in other types of schools and the rest with family or friends.
This movement of the population towards the south includes an order for the eviction of Gazans, first moving to escape the systematic bombings on the northern half, although that has not prevented the attacks on the southern half. After the land invasion operation, the movement of refugees towards the south would continue while the Israeli army would occupy the Strip little by little, with the excuse of disabling Hamas’ infrastructure and annulling its famous network of tunnels.
In the development of these war activities, Israel could have already committed several war crimes such as blocking the civilian population, depriving it of its supplies; the forced displacement of the population expelling them from the north to the southern half
In the development of these war activities, Israel could have already committed several war crimes. such as the blockade of the civilian population, depriving them of their supplies; the forced displacement of the population, expelling them from the north to the southern half; the attack on civilian facilities with bombings on homes and refugee camps; or the use of indiscriminate weapons such as the use of white phosphorus, according to Amnesty International.
The only possible natural exit for this new flow of Palestinian refugees to the south would be the Egyptian Sinai, a destination that Egypt has denied. arguing that it does not want to host possible Hamas operations in its territory, but that perhaps it is more related to the fear that the settlement in its territory would become definitive. In fact, a Wikileaks document uncovers an Israeli plan to build several cities in the Sinai, opening a humanitarian corridor to that area and settling the Gazan refugee population, who would no longer return to the territory of the Strip.
“A verified Israeli Intelligence Ministry document from October 13 suggests that the forced displacement of civilians from Gaza to Egypt ‘would produce positive, long-term strategic results. The advisory document envisions a three-stage process that includes establishing tent cities in the Sinai and opening a humanitarian corridor. followed by the construction of cities in northern Sinai from which there would be no return #Gaza“, details Wikileaks in its X account (formerly Twitter):
Palestinian refugees in the Middle East and gas fields off Gaza and Israel / Infographic: EA
This movement to expel the population of Gaza also has an economic background. Almost coinciding with the conflict, Israel has opened licenses to several international companies for the exploitation of gas resources on its Mediterranean coast.. In a context of energy need due to the Ukrainian crisis, these exports are of great strategic nature and provide a powerful bargaining chip to negotiate the position of many countries on their actions in the conflict.
In the multiple gas fields that are located in its exploitation area or in locations bordering other States, Israel has reached several agreements for understanding with border countries such as Lebanon or Egypt. But in the case of Gaza it is of greater interest control of the Marine 1 and 2 gas fields, about 35 kilometers from the Gaza coast. These deposits would currently be unexploited and would be found in Gaza’s territorial waters., but since the Strip does not have the right to exploit its natural resources, they remained inactive. Although due to international pressure Israel came to give its approval for the exploitation of the fields with multiple restrictions at the beginning of the year, if there was any hope of being able to exploit them for the benefit of Gaza and thus be able to reduce its suffocating energy dependence, the situation remains completely suspense.
On October 29, Israeli Energy Minister Israel Kartz formalized the closing of the granting of 12 licenses for fossil gas exploration off Israel’s Mediterranean coast. This movement comes at a critical time, during the military offensive in the Gaza Strip. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed the need to “accelerate exports to Europe”
On October 29, Israeli Energy Minister Israel Kartz formalized the closing of the granting of 12 licenses for fossil gas exploration on the Mediterranean coast of Israel. This movement comes at a critical time, during the military offensive in the Gaza Strip. Companies such as Eni of Italy, BP of the United Kingdom and Socar of Azerbaijan are expanding their operations in the gas sector in the region. It should be noted that months ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed the need to “accelerate exports to Europe“.
Hajo Meyer, a survivor of Auschwitz, already warned in 2006 of the parallels between the situation in Gaza and the Nazi genocide. Both were progressive processes, with a slow flow in which successive advances were produced and which never turned back.
But the appropriation and exploitation of these natural resources is just another excuse for the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza. Hajo Meyer, Auschwitz survivor, already warned in 2006 of the parallels between the situation in Gaza and the Nazi genocide. Both were progressive processes, with a slow flow in which successive advances were produced and which never turned back..
First, the Nazis locked up the population to be exterminated in ghettos, while in Gaza they had to flee their home to a territory limited by a wall; Later the Nazis sent the Jews to work and concentration camps, when homes and possessions were demolished in Gaza; Later, the Nazis stripped people of their belongings and dignity, while a blockade was carried out in Gaza that did not allow the minimum conditions for dignified survival; until the final solution was finally applied in the Holocaust, where in Gaza, instead of gas chambers, tanks and bombings will act.
References (1)Complete document from the Ministry of Intelligence: occupation of Gaza and total transfer of its residents. WikiLeaks.
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