Dec
28
Gaza still in ruins a year after the war
Filed Under Gaza
One year after the beginning of Israel’s 22-day assault on the Gaza Strip, reconstruction work has barely begun. The territory is strewn with ruins and workers in Gaza City have only just begun clearing the rubble.
In the hardest hit areas, such as the village of Beit Hanoun and the Jabalya refugee camp, it looks as though the war ended just yesterday. Bombed out buildings and houses alternate with tents housing large families. The only difference between now and the end of the war is that the roads have been cleared.
The international community has made more than 2.78 billion euros available for reconstruction but Gaza residents haven’t seen a cent so far. Israel and Egypt have both refused to allow building materials into the territory.
To coincide with the commemoration of the start of the attack, two groups have started campaigns to break the blockade. On 31 December, a group of international peace activists in Gaza are planning to organise a protest march to the Israeli border. The Gaza Freedom March will go from Gaza City to the Erez crossing.
Around 1350 activists have signed up to take part in the event and they are hoping to be accompanied by around 50,000 Palestinian demonstrators. The activists who have signed up have all signed a document promising to protest peacefully. Manny activists who planned to participate have been refused entry into the Gaza Strip by the Egyptian authorities.
Egypt’s Rafah crossing
Another peace initiative was started outside the Gaza Strip. Volunteers working for the Viva Palestina aid convoy are stranded in the Jordanian port city of Aqaba with some 200 lorry loads of goods. They are waiting for permission from the Egyptian authorities to proceed by ferry to the Gaza Strip. Egypt has so far refused to co-operate. The activists are considering starting a hunger strike in order to put pressure on the Egyptian authorities.
The controversial British politician George Galloway is heading the convoy. In an interview with the Arab television station Al Jazeera on Sunday, he called directly on Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to allow the goods through.
“Please, President Mubarak, let’s solve this issue. We have to make haste otherwise the food and medicine will spoil. We are just four hours from Gaza,” he said.
Object achieved
In Tel Aviv, less than an hour’s drive from the Gaza Strip, there is very little awareness of the one year anniversary. There is also very little debate about the legitimacy of the attack. The vast majority of Israelis are convinced that the attack did achieve the desired objective, namely reducing the number of rocket attacks on Israeli targets carried out by Palestinian militants. No one is discussing the price that Palestinians civilians had to pay in order to ensure the safety of Israeli civilians.
Gazans
The notion that Hamas’ popularity would diminish under the influence of the blockade has proven false. It is relatively peaceful in the streets of Gaza City and the population has grown closer under the shared suffering. Last week, more than 200,000 people attended a Hamas demonstration in Gaza City. Despite all the trouble and suffering, many Gazans are proud of their determination to continue resisting Israel.
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