![]() ![]() In 2016, Gaza’s population reached two million, making it one of the most densely populated areas on earth it has often been called “the largest open-air prison in the world.” Besides severely limiting entry of food, water and other essential resources, as well as desperately needed building materials, the imprisonment of Gaza denies patients access to urgent medical treatment beyond their territory, keeps students from pursuing educational and career opportunities abroad, divides families who are located in Gaza and the West Bank, and prohibits the international community, including the press, from adequately monitoring and reporting on this continuing humanitarian disaster. Gaza’s only power plant has been damaged repeatedly by Israeli bombardment and can provide electricity for Gazans only a few hours a day. ![]() The World Bank puts Gaza’s unemployment rate at 43%, the highest in the world. The UN estimates that 80% of the people in Gaza are dependent on humanitarian aid for survival, and 90% of the ground water in Gaza is unfit for human consumption. The United Nations has repeatedly called for additional aid for Gazans and for a loosening or end to the blockade. Since the massive Israeli assaults on Gaza – Operation Cast Lead in December 2008-January 2009, Operation Pillar of Defense in the summer of 2012, and Operation Protective Edge in the summer of 2014 – the materials needed to rebuild tens of thousands of destroyed homes, as well as hospitals, utilities providers, schools, and businesses, are not being allowed into Gaza. The circles on the land borders in this map show the checkpoints which are the only places Gazans may exit their territory or by which goods can be brought into Gaza. Learn more about Gaza and the Freedom Flotillas here. Humanitarian ships that have tried to break the blockade of Gaza have also been attacked by Israel. Fisherman are frequently confronted and even attacked by the Israeli Navy. Gazan fisherman may travel only to the first dotted line seen on this map, an area that falls far short of the distance agreed under the Oslo Accords and that has become insufficient for them to maintain their livelihoods. Egypt controls a small portion of Gaza’s border, to the south, in cooperation with Israel and Israel’s primary protector state, the USA Egypt is the world’s second largest recipient of US aid.īy sea, Gazans are blockaded by the Israeli Navy. Israel maintains a blockade by land and sea on three sides. Although Israeli settlers and troops were withdrawn from Gaza in 2005, it is still considered occupied territory under international law because Israel still controls the lives of the inhabitants of Gaza. In November 1967, the same year as the Six Day War, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted UN SC Resolution 242, which required the “withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict.” As of 2017, Israel has refused to comply with this UN Security Council resolution for fifty years.Ībove: Gaza is part of the territories under military occupation by Israel since the Six Day War of 1967. As noted in the previous map, the Sinai Peninsula was returned to Egyptian control by 1982. President Jimmy Carter, were fulfilled in 1982, at which time all of the Sinai Peninsula was again under Egyptian control.Ībove: This map shows in green the areas that Israel has had under military occupation since 1967. At the end of this war, Israeli forces had occupied all the areas in pink on this map: the West Bank, Gaza, the Golan Heights which belonged to Syria (at the northeast/upper right corner of Israel) and the Sinai Peninsula which belonged to Egypt (large area to the left/southwest of Israel). Without air capability these nations had little ability to defend their territories and this war ended quickly: it is known as the Six Day War. Maps “home page” – includes map of The Middle EastĪbove: The war of June 1967 began with a pre-emptive air strike by Israel in which it destroyed the air force fleets, while they were on the ground, of three neighboring nations, Jordan, Syria and Egypt.See also the collection of maps in the Palestine Teaching Trunk. To do that, click the printer icon in the vertical Social Media bar on the far left edge of this page. You also can use Print Friendly, which will allow you to save the page as a pdf file. Click on any image to see it on a screen where you may be able to download it. ![]()
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