Gaza crisis: background

June 2009

Gaza is a 20-mile-long, five-mile-wide strip of land bordering Israel, Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea that has been entirely fenced since 1996.

Half of Gaza’s 1.4 million population are children; most of these have never been outside of this conflict-ridden strip.

Israel and the blockade

Israel holds almost total control of Gaza’s border. Over the past year and a half, its 'blockade' has severely limited the amount of food, medicine and other essential supplies such as industrial and agricultural parts getting into Gaza.

Israel stated that the blockade is intended to prevent Hamas from firing rockets into Israel. Hamas, meanwhile, said that they will not commit to ceasing the rockets until the blockade is lifted.

The blockade appears to have made no impact on Israel’s stated aim of stopping Hamas’s illegal rockets, but it has had a hugely negative effect on the lives of ordinary Palestinians; 80% of Gazans are reliant on UN handouts.

Conflict reignited

On 18 December 2008, a six month truce between Israel and the Hamas was due to come to an end.
During this time there had been a reduction, although not a complete cessation, of rocket fire from Hamas, while Israel allowed a limited amount of humanitarian supplies into Gaza, but did not lift the blockade fully.

Hamas announced that it would not renew the truce, and rocket fire from militants in Gaza, including Hamas, increased significantly on 17 December.

On 27 December, Israel launched an air offensive targeting Gaza, followed by a ground invasion on 3 January 2009.

Ceasefire and reconstruction

After three weeks of fighting, Israel and Hamas announced unilateral cessations of violence.
The UN has estimated that the fighting destroyed or damaged 14,000 homes and left tens of thousands of Gaza’s inhabitants homeless.

A large amount of farmland, 219 factories, 240 schools, and numerous health facilities were destroyed or damaged . More than 1,400 Palestinians, including 313 children, and 13 Israelis lost their lives.

The subsequent reconstruction of Gaza has been hampered by the ongoing blockade, which has prevented important rebuilding materials, such as cement, from being imported.

Christian Aid's position

Christian Aid has consistently said that neither violence nor the blockade can bring a solution to the conflict.

Only dialogue between all parties can achieve lasting peace and a viable solution for Israelis and Palestinians alike.