Calls for end to Gaza blockade gain international momentum

Israel’s blockade of Gaza was put in place shortly after Hamas won the Palestinian election in 2006. The following year, Hamas took control militarily after fighting with a clique within rival faction Fatah which was funded by the US and Israel to stage a coup against the government; shortly afterwards Egypt and Israel sealed most of their border crossings. Israel maintains that the blockade is necessary to limit Palestinian rocket attacks on its cities and to prevent Hamas from obtaining other weapons. However, it has been criticised by the UN and other international bodies for going far beyond blocking military supplies.

The blockade prevents the flow of basic foodstuffs, medicine and construction materials, as well as severely restricting the movement of people. The Economist has described Gaza as “the world’s biggest open-air prison.” The economy in this densely populated and impoverished territory has slowed to a standstill; imports and exports are virtually non-existent and UN agencies have noted a trend of “de-development” as buildings destroyed in Israel’s numerous wars remain unrepaired.

The harshness of the blockade was highlighted by the 2010 Freedom Flotilla to Gaza, but it has since fallen out of the international headlines. That has changed with the most recent Israeli attack, which has seen around 2,000 Palestinians killed in the space of a month. Negotiations to end the violence have been difficult given the vastly different starting points of the two sides. Israel says that it wants to destroy Hamas tunnels; Hamas says that it wants the blockade to be lifted.

Now, halfway through a 72-hour truce, as Egyptian mediators shuttle between the two parties, international powers are speaking out. President Barack Obama condemned Hamas as “extraordinarily irresponsible” for launching rockets from population centres. However, in something of a change of tone, he also urged a “formula” to ease the hardships of ordinary Palestinians who have suffered in the conflict. “Long term, there has to be a recognition that Gaza cannot sustain itself permanently closed off from the world and incapable of providing some opportunity – jobs, economic growth – for the population that lives there,” he said.

Reiterating his support for Israel and its right to self-defence, Obama added: “The question then becomes: can we find a formula in which Israel has greater assurance that Gaza will not be a launching pad for further attacks… but at the same time ordinary Palestinians have some prospects for an opening of Gaza so that they do not feel walled off?” He suggested that the blockade should be eased. For many observers, this does not go far enough. Germany, France and Britain have advocated the reactivation of a European Union mission on the Egypt-Gaza border to ease the pressure on the beleaguered territory. The Egyptian authorities, which have more or less kept the border closed over the past year, are reluctant to discuss this option as part of the peace process, preferring to focus instead on Israel.

For many, neither Obama’s call for an easing of the blockade, rather than an end to it, nor the EU suggestion of the reopening of one border but not all, go far enough. Former US President Jimmy Carter is unequivocal, using an article in the Guardian to call for the UN Security Council to mandate an end to the siege. “The initial goal should be the full restoration of free movement of people and goods to and from Gaza through Israel, Egypt and the sea,” he wrote. “And the US and EU should recognise that Hamas is not just a military force but also a political one.”

Quite apart from the obvious humanitarian concerns and the violation of international law, the blockade of Gaza has actually been counterproductive to Israel’s aim of weakening Hamas. The Washington Post points out that the group’s popularity has grown since the blockade was imposed, and that, in fact, the restrictions have strengthened Hamas. This is because it is the only group that can skilfully navigate the blockade through tunnels and other smuggling routes so that those who wish to benefit economically have an incentive to form or retain ties to the movement. There is also the fact that anger at Israeli policies is a key driving force of support for Hamas.

Of course, it would be politically difficult for the Israeli government to lift the blockade. This would risk seeming, on the domestic political stage, to be capitulating to Hamas. Similarly, Egypt will be reluctant to open the Rafah crossing while it is cracking down on the Muslim Brotherhood, with which Hamas is associated. Nevertheless, with the international community at least starting to make some appropriate noises, perhaps there will start to be some movement on this inhumane and self-defeating policy.

Comments

Please respect and abide by our Community Guidelines when leaving comments.

Source Article from https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/blogs/politics/13313-calls-for-end-to-gaza-blockade-gain-international-momentum

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Leave a Reply

Powered by WordPress | Designed by: Premium WordPress Themes | Thanks to Themes Gallery, Bromoney and Wordpress Themes