Gaza
The Occupied Palestinian Territory of Gaza, also known as the Gaza Strip, is a narrow piece of land situated in the south-west corner of historic Palestine and bordering on the Mediterranean. It is approximately 41 kms (25 miles) long, and 8 kms (6 miles) wide at its narrowest and widest points respectively. Gaza has a population of approx 1.5 million people. For more detailed information on Gaza, its history, its people, the regular Israeli onslaught and the Siege of Gaza, see the
Gaza Overview and Siege page.
Between 19th June and 4th November 2008, a ceasefire was in place between Israel and Hamas. During this time, Hamas didn’t fire any rockets or mortar shells out of Gaza and restrained other Palestinian groups from doing so. Hamas maintained its ceasefire despite the fact that Israel failed to honour its obligations under the ceasefire agreement to lift its economic blockade, which had brought the people of Gaza to the verge of starvation.
On 4 November 2008 – while the world was watching the election of Barack Obama – Israel made an armed incursion into Gaza, the first since the ceasefire began on 19 June, and killed 7 members of Hamas.
Operation Cast Lead, which cost the lives of more than 1,400 Palestinians was premised on a need to protect Israeli towns from rocket fire. Israeli towns were protected from rocket fire – through the ceasefire with Hamas – a ceasefire which was broken by Israel. The
Israel-Hamas Ceasefire page
and Briefing Paper expands on the ceasefire, its breach by Israel and the consequences.
"This is not a natural disaster.
It is a man-made disaster created by policies that are not humane."
John Ging, director of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency in Gaza.
The international community, frustrated by the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip inflicted by the Israeli blockade and by the inaction of the world’s governments has started to take matters into its own hands.
Since August 2008, the Free Gaza Movement has sailed from Cyprus to the Gaza Strip on several successful voyages, bringing in international witnesses to see first hand the devastating effects of Israeli violence against the Palestinian people.
At the end of May 2010, the Free Gaza Flotilla was attacked by the Israeli navy in international waters, nine of the aid workers on board were shot dead, 23 were seriously wounded with gunshot and other wounds, and 31 other wounded either during the attack or later in Israel. All the passengers and crew of the Flotilla’s seven ships were captured and taken to Israel, the ships and cargo were seized, passengers mobile phones, laptops, cameras, credit cards were stolen, along with large quantities of money in cash which were intended for NGO’s and relief agencies in Gaza. The
Free Gaza Flotilla page provides you with more information on the attack.
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