The Gaza strip which is 41km long and 10km wide and bounded by the Mediterranean Sea, Israel and Egypt. The Gaza is was captured by Israel in 1967 middle east war, but it is originally occupied by Egypt.
Gaza is under the control of the militant Islamist group “Hamas”. Since from that time Israel and Egypt have restricted the movement of goods and people in and out of the Gaza. Hamas is a designated a terrorist group which has fought several wars on Israel.
Israel’s defense minister’s order to place a “complete siege” on the Gaza Strip. The announcement by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Monday that Gaza would receive “no electricity, no food, no water, no fuel” after a major incursion by Palestinian gunmen left hundreds dead has led aid agencies to warn of an aggravated humanitarian crisis. Gaza gets most of its electricity via Israeli power lines, and produces some at a power plant in Gaza with fuel imported from Israel. It receives a smaller number of goods through its much shorter border with Egypt.
Gaza’s sole power plant stopped working after running out of fuel on 11 October due to insufficient supply of fuel which results in leaving hospitals overwhelmed with injured relying on back-up generators. Food stock are being depleted because the shops in Gaza reporting a shortage of commodities. More than 600,000 Gaza peoples not have drinkable water due to Israeli decision to cut off the water supply. Local water pumps and sewage systems are also closed due to lacking of fuel which needs for its function.
At least 200,000 people have been displaced, due to loosing their homes in air strikes most of them are taking shelter in UN schools.
Gaza Civilians have little hope to leave Gaza to escape the conflict but the Israel take care to shut the Erez crossing in the north of the Strip while then Egyptian-controlled Rafah border crossing in the south which was closed on 9 and 10 October.
Health facilities of Gaza are overstretched and frequently affected by power cuts and shortages of medical equipment’s and medicine. Patients of Gaza needs life-saving treatments in West Bank or East Jerusalem hospitals but for the treatment first it get requests which is approved by the PA and then exit passes approved by the Israeli authorities. More than 70,000 of patient permit applications were delayed or denied in this period some patients are died while awaiting a response to their application.
Israel and Egypt block the all borders for moving people in and out of the Gaza due to this supply of food from outside is blocked and Israeli also on restrictions on access to agricultural land and fishing have reduced the amount of food Gazans can produce themselves. Areas up to 100m from the 60km-long Israeli agricultural areas are considered to be “no-go” areas it means farmers cannot grow anything there, even if they own the land.
This is the current situations of life of Gaza.
Image source:https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-20415675
