Friday in Gaza.
Sitting under a large yellow umbrella and next to a lovely olive tree in the courtyard of Marna House, it is easy to temporarily forget the daily hardship of life under longstanding military occupation and punitive blockade.
In 2005, the illegal settlements were dismantled and their Jewish-only residents were forcibly removed under Israeli military orders. This was a cynical manoeuver, for in reality the Gaza Strip became a land, sea and air-enclosed cage. Palestinians residing here suffer continual human rights violations including no freedom of movement, and a socially engineered, militarily enforced profound poverty.
With the ongoing blockade, reconstruction efforts following the 2008-9 Operation Cast Lead massacre have been seriously undermined. Factories are either in ruins, or those that are intact, remain idle as fuel is restricted and exports are not permitted by Israel. Land theft robs Gazans of their farmland and navy patrols have destroyed the local fishing industry. Moreover, the no-go land and sea zones are strictly, and at times, lethally enforced by the Israeli occupation forces.
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