What is Gaza Strip, the besieged Palestinian enclave under Israeli assault?
The Gaza Strip has been under intense Israeli bombardment for the past five days in the wake of a deadly attack by the armed group Hamas, and human rights groups are calling it collective punishment of the Palestinian enclave’s 2.3 million residents.
Gaza is teetering on the verge of a humanitarian crisis with hospitals overwhelmed with casualties during a complete blockade after Israel intensified its 16-year long siege of the territory.More than 60 percent of Gaza’s people are refugees from what is currently Israel. More than750,000 Palestinians were ethnically cleansed from their homes by Israeli militias in 1948 when Israel declared its independence.
More than 60 percent of Gaza’s people are refugees from what is currently Israel. More than750,000 Palestinians were ethnically cleansed from their homes by Israeli militias in 1948 when Israel declared its independence.
What does the total siege mean?
On Monday, Israel announced a “total blockade” of Gaza, which includes a ban on food, water, fuel and electricity supplies.
Most of Gaza’s electricity comes from Israeli power lines, and some is produced at a power plant in Gaza, which also sources its fuel from Israel.
Internet connectivity in the area has slumped since Saturday, according to data from NetBlocks.Where is Gaza located?
Gaza, a 10km (6 mile) by 41km (25 mile) strip located on the Mediterranean Sea, is one of two Palestinian territories, the other being the occupied West Bank.
It takes one hour to drive from its southern point, Rafah, to Beit Hanoon in the north.
The enclave is divided into five governorates: North Gaza, Gaza City, Deir el-Balah, Khan Younis and Rafah.
Gaza is separated from Israel by a separation barrier, and it has a southern border crossing with Egypt.Who controls the Gaza Strip?
Gaza is viewed as an occupied territory because Israel has full control of its borders, airspace and territorial waters despite having formally withdrawn its forces and settlers from the enclave in 2005. Israel had captured the enclave along with other Palestinian territories – East Jerusalem and the West Bank – in the 1967 Six-Day War.
The Gaza Strip’s current boundaries were demarcated in the Egyptian-Israeli armistice agreement of February 24, 1949. Until 1967, Gaza was under Egyptian control.
In 2006, Hamas won elections against the Fatah party, which runs the Palestinian Authority (PA). The group took over Gaza after months of fighting with Fatah in 2007. The PA, which signed the 1993 Oslo Accords with Israel, governs the West Bank.
Hamas and other Palestinian resistance groups based in Gaza have carried out attacks against Israel before, triggering bloody Israeli assaults on the territory.
Since 2005, Israel has carried out at least six major military offensives in Gaza with 2014 being the most brutal. More than 2,000 Palestinians were killed in the seven-week Israeli assault.Who controls the Gaza Strip?
Gaza is viewed as an occupied territory because Israel has full control of its borders, airspace and territorial waters despite having formally withdrawn its forces and settlers from the enclave in 2005. Israel had captured the enclave along with other Palestinian territories – East Jerusalem and the West Bank – in the 1967 Six-Day War.
The Gaza Strip’s current boundaries were demarcated in the Egyptian-Israeli armistice agreement of February 24, 1949. Until 1967, Gaza was under Egyptian control.
In 2006, Hamas won elections against the Fatah party, which runs the Palestinian Authority (PA). The group took over Gaza after months of fighting with Fatah in 2007. The PA, which signed the 1993 Oslo Accords with Israel, governs the West Bank.
Hamas and other Palestinian resistance groups based in Gaza have carried out attacks against Israel before, triggering bloody Israeli assaults on the territory.
Since 2005, Israel has carried out at least six major military offensives in Gaza with 2014 being the most brutal. More than 2,000 Palestinians were killed in the seven-week Israeli assault.
