Gaza: A History of Displacement, Blockade, and Resilience
A Present That Demands Witness
In Gaza, survival has become the central act of life. Families are crammed into shelters, hospitals run on failing generators, and neighborhoods once alive with markets and children’s laughter now lie in rubble. With over two million people trapped in one of the most densely populated strips of land in the world, this is not only a conflict—it is a humanitarian emergency.
Colonial Roots and the Nakba
The story of Gaza cannot be separated from the broader story of Palestine. After World War I, Britain controlled the territory under the British Mandate. In 1947, the United Nations voted to partition Palestine into two states—one Jewish, one Arab. Jewish leaders accepted the plan, but Arab leaders rejected it, arguing it was unjust.
On May 14, 1948, as Britain ended its mandate, Jewish leaders declared the establishment of the State of Israel. War immediately broke out with neighboring Arab states, and by its end, Israel held more land than the UN had allocated. For Palestinians, this marked the Nakba, or catastrophe: over 700,000 people were expelled or fled their homes, many finding refuge in Gaza, where their descendants still live today.
The Occupation and the Blockade
In 1967, Israel occupied Gaza during the Six-Day War, beginning decades of direct military control. Although Israel withdrew its settlers and troops in 2005, Gaza has remained under strict blockade, its air, sea, and land crossings tightly controlled by Israel and, to a lesser extent, Egypt.
How Israel Was Created in 1948
The creation of Israel in 1948 was rooted in decades of Zionist aspirations, colonial politics, and the global aftermath of the Holocaust. Under British rule in Palestine, Jewish migration increased, fueling tensions with the Arab majority. In 1947, the United Nations voted to partition the land into two states—one Jewish, one Arab. Jewish leaders accepted the plan, but Arab leaders rejected it, arguing it was unjust. On May 14, 1948, as Britain withdrew, Jewish leaders declared the State of Israel. War broke out immediately with neighboring Arab countries, and by the end of the fighting, Israel held more land than the UN had proposed. For Palestinians, the war brought the Nakba, or catastrophe—over 700,000 people were expelled or fled their homes, many finding refuge in Gaza, where their descendants still live today.
The Hamas Factor and Cycles of War
In 2007, after internal conflict with the Palestinian Authority, Hamas took control of Gaza. Since then, the enclave has been locked in a cycle of repeated wars and ceasefires with Israel. Each escalation brings massive civilian casualties, destruction of infrastructure, and a deeper humanitarian crisis.
For Gaza’s people, these wars are not just headlines—they are lived reality. They mean rebuilding homes again and again, surviving with limited electricity, and raising children who know war before they know peace.
The Rise of Hamas
Hamas was founded in 1987, during the First Intifada—Palestinians’ uprising against Israeli occupation. Emerging as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, it combined social services, religious identity, and armed resistance into one movement. Hamas gained grassroots support in Gaza by providing schools, clinics, and aid where the state failed, but it also carried out violent attacks against Israelis, marking it as both a political and militant organization.
In 2006, Hamas won Palestinian legislative elections, reflecting deep frustration with corruption in the Palestinian Authority. A year later, after a brief but violent power struggle with rival Fatah, Hamas seized full control of Gaza. Since then, the enclave has been governed by Hamas, locked in recurring wars and blockades that have defined life for Gaza’s residents.
What’s Happening Now
Today, Gaza is often described as an “open-air prison.” Blockade restrictions choke the flow of food, medicine, and goods. Unemployment hovers around 50%. Safe water is scarce, hospitals lack essential supplies, and schools double as shelters.
Beyond statistics are the human stories: a mother trying to find formula for her baby, children doing homework by candlelight, doctors performing surgeries without anesthesia. These are not exceptions but daily realities for Gaza’s families.
Why It Matters
To understand Gaza is to confront the legacy of colonial borders, displacement, and a world order that too often places politics over human dignity. Bearing witness is an act of solidarity that keeps Gaza from being reduced to statistics or forgotten headlines.
Paths to Solidarity
If you want to stand with Gaza, here are trusted paths:
Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS): Grassroots health services reaching families cut off from hospitals.
Gaza Community Mental Health Programme (GCMHP): Offering trauma counseling and mental health care in a population where nearly half are children.
Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF): Providing lifesaving treatment for injured and orphaned children, including medical evacuations abroad.
Beyond donations, solidarity also means amplifying Palestinian journalists, refusing to let Gaza’s suffering fade from view, and pressing for humanitarian access wherever possible.
A Closing Reflection
Gaza is more than crisis. It is a place of poetry, music, and resilience. It is families gathering around iftar, children flying kites along the beach, elders passing down oral histories that hold memory and identity.
Bearing witness to Gaza means refusing to let its people be reduced to statistics or headlines. It means affirming that even in the darkest times, dignity and humanity endure.
