@the_fennec_guy: Replying to @THΞ FΞNNΞC Israel has enforced a blockade on Gaza for years, restricting goods to those deemed essential for survival. The Israeli human rights group Gisha documented banned items—including newspapers, notebooks, spices, and sweets—based on conversations with Palestinian businesses and aid organizations. Graphics illustrate what was allowed and denied entry between 2007 and 2010. Restrictions on Gaza began in the early 1990s. After Hamas won 74 out of 132 seats in the 2006 Palestinian legislative elections, Israel tightened its blockade, hoping to pressure Gazans into turning against Hamas. Dov Weisglass, an adviser to then-Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, described the strategy: “The idea is to put the Palestinians on a diet but not to make them die of hunger.” This failed. By mid-2007, Hamas had defeated its rival Fatah in Gaza and took control. Israel responded by making the blockade permanent, further limiting Gaza’s access to the outside world. The Israeli military even conducted an internal study calculating the minimum calories needed to prevent malnutrition. International condemnation grew. In May 2010, the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, carrying 10,000 tons of aid, attempted to break the siege. Israeli commandos intercepted the Mavi Marmara, the largest ship, in international waters, killing nine people. By June 2010, possibly in response to backlash, Israel eased restrictions slightly, allowing in some consumer goods. Gisha commented: “Gisha is pleased to learn that coriander no longer represents a threat to Israeli security.” Israel created a list of “dual-use” items—products deemed potentially repurposable for military use—in 2008 but only made it public in 2010. A 2022 Oxfam report found Israel’s definition far exceeded international norms, restricting access to essentials like water and sewage pumps. Oxfam called the process arbitrary and non-transparent. The blockade has fluctuated over the years. In 2018, Israel banned over 1,000 basic items—including baby bottles, diapers, wedding dresses, and cleaning sponges—after Gazans launched incendiary kites and balloons. Fuel and gas shipments were also halted. Since October 7, the blockade has become nearly total, placing Gaza’s civilians at risk. In March 2024, CNN reported that Israel has blocked ventilators, oxygen cylinders, anesthetics, X-ray machines, crutches, and water filtration systems as “dual-use” items. Cancer medications, dates, and sleeping bags were also denied—dates supposedly looked suspicious in X-rays, while sleeping bags were rejected because they were green, a color associated with the military. What began as an effort to cripple Gaza’s economy has now become a strategy pushing its people to the brink of survival.

THΞ FΞNNΞC

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Thursday 27 February 2025 18:24:50 GMT