Explained: Gaza Strip and the struggle for survival for millions of its residents

On October 9, two days after a sudden and barbaric attack by Hamas on Israel which killed more than 1,200 Israeli civilians, Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant took a stern stance and ordered the "complete seige" of Hamas-governed Gaza Strip. 

"I have given an order - Gaza will be under complete siege. There will be no electricity, food or fuel (delivered to Gaza). We are fighting barbaric (terrorists) and will respond accordingly," Gallant had said in a statement, as Israel prepared for its most violent offensive against Gaza, a narrow strip of land on the Mediterranean coast.

As Israel continues to pound the Gaza strip and reduce buildings to rubble in retaliation, the estimated two million people living in its neighbourhood scramble to find shelter amid their dying hope of survival. 

History of the embattled Gaza Strip

The Gaza Strip is a narrow strip of land which overlooks the Mediterranean Sea and shares its borders with Egypt and Israel. It covers a total area of about 365 sq km, which is roughly as big as Washington DC. 

An area with thousands of years of history, the evidence of the first human settlements in Gaza dates back as far as 3,500 BC. Through the centuries, various empires – Romans, Byzantines, Persians and Egyptians – ruled this strip of land, after which it was conquered by Muslim forces in the 7th century AD. Later, it became a part of the Ottoman Empire and was captured by the British Empire in World War I after the fall of the Ottomans in 1918. 

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After the 1948 Arab-Israeli War marked the end of the British Mandate for Palestine, Gaza went into the hands of Egypt. An All-Palestine government was established in Gaza which worked as a puppet regime for Egypt. However, it was dissolved in 1959 by Gamal Abdel Nasser and the military rulers of Cairo seized control of the Strip.

The coalition of Arab states threatened Israel because of which it launched preemptive airstrikes against Egyptian military facilities and airfields in June 1967. The Israeli troops seized the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza Strip from the Egyptians and also captured the Golan Heights from Syrians and the West Bank as well as East Jerusalem from the Jordanians. The Six-Day War came to an end with the victory of Israel.   

The Gaza Strip remained under Israel's control for the next 38 years, during which the region saw the establishment of 21 Jewish settlements. In the Camp David Accords of 1978, Israel agreed to remove its military occupation from Sinai in exchange for the establishment of diplomatic ties with Egypt.  

As per the accords, it was also agreed that the rights of the Palestinian people would be recognised and an autonomous governing body would be formed in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Oslo Accords and the birth of Hamas 

The historic Oslo Peace Accords was signed between Israel and Palestine in 1993 which led to the creation of the Palestinian National Authority. As per the Accords, Palestinians were granted limited control in Gaza, and Jericho in the West Bank. 

Hamas – a militant Palestinian organisation which was founded with the aim of fighting against the Israeli occupation and restoring Islamic rule in Palestine – turned into a rival of Yasser Arafat's Fatah party, which was leading the Palestine Liberation Organisation.

Bombings were carried out by Islamic Jihad and Hamas with the aim to derail the peace process, which led to the imposition of more restrictions by Israel on the movement of Palestinians out of Gaza creating a dire humanitarian situation. 

The second Palestinian intifada in 2000 saw suicide bombings, Israeli air strikes, shooting attacks by Palestinians and the destruction of Gaza International Airport, which was the only direct link of the Palestinians to the outside world. 

Israel's withdrawal and Hamas' 'complete control' of Gaza

In 2005, Israel withdrew its military forces and around 9,000 Israeli settlers from Gaza and the enclave was left to be governed by the Palestinian Authority. In 2006, Hamas took complete control of Gaza after winning the elections. 

Speaking about the influence of Hamas on Palestinians to WION, International Crisis Group's Programme Director, Middle East & North Africa Joost R. Hiltermann said, "Palestinians in Gaza support an end to Israel's military occupation everywhere in Palestine and of the Israeli siege on Gaza. For better or worse, Hamas represents those aspirations, and this is why it has popular support."

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Since 2007, Israel has imposed land, air and sea blockade on Gaza which had a devastating effect on Palestinians. However, Israel has defended its action by saying that this allows it to control the borders of Gaza and protect Israeli citizens from Hamas. 

Gaza Strip has also been under surveillance for years. It is the blockade and surveillance that has forced Human Rights Watch to call the Gaza Strip an "open-air prison". 

Today, as the 75 years of conflict over the Gaza Strip reaches its pinnacle, the question arises for whom is the war being fought and what will it achieve eventually? 

"If Israel destroys not only Gaza but also Hamas' or anyone's ability to govern, then it won't have any choice but to re-occupy the territory," stated Hiltermann.

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