Italian
Today a pile of rubble, tomorrow a land with luxury mega resorts?
GAZA. The negotiations to end the war between Israel and Hamas continue. Amid opposition and futuristic proposals, determining the future of a people, a spontaneous question arises among ordinary people who have heard about this place for too long: “What is the Gaza Strip?”
The Gaza Strip is a coastal territory located in the eastern part of the Mediterranean, along the western coast of Israel. It is a relatively narrow and long strip of land, extending for about 41 kilometers.
The area is important for several geopolitical reasons. Its geographic location makes it a focal point in the Israeli-Palestinian conflicts and in the broader context of the Middle East. Controlling this area is crucial for access to Israel and the instability in the region.
International Recognition
Since 2012, the UN formally recognizes the State of Palestine, as a semi-autonomous state entity, led by the PA, and including the Gaza Strip. The State of Palestine claims sovereignty over the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as the designated capital, although its administrative center is located in Ramallah.
Since 2007, the Gaza Strip has been governed by Hamas, a Palestinian militant group considered a terrorist organization by many countries, including Israel, the United States, and the European Union. The population of the Gaza Strip is mainly Palestinian, and the region is densely populated. Access to Gaza is heavily controlled by Israel, leading to restrictions on the movement of people and goods. This has made life in the Gaza Strip extremely challenging, with issues of essential goods supply, limited access to medical care, and other humanitarian challenges.
The territorial integrity of Palestine has been a long-standing issue: in July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s presence in the occupied Palestinian territories illegal. While the United States does not recognize Palestine as a permanent observer state, the United Nations does.
The End of Fighting
The ceasefire came into effect on Sunday, January 19 after 15 months of conflict and all Israeli fighting and bombing stopped at 11:15 in the morning (10:15 in Italy). Israel also withdrew from some positions, especially in the northern Gaza Strip, and the army’s retreat is expected to continue gradually in the coming weeks.
Trump’s proposal
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, sparked a global controversy last week when he declared that the United States would “take control of the Gaza Strip,” stating that he wanted to transform the territory into a “Middle East Riviera.”
Trump announced the decision during a press conference held together with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with the latter describing the idea as “revolutionary” and “creative.” The Israeli Prime Minister stated that “the people of Gaza must be given the option to leave.”
Trump’s proposed solution involves transferring all Palestinians out of their territory to neighboring countries, which have expressed their “no,” as well as the entire Arab world and even China, which stated, “Gaza belongs to the Palestinians and is an integral part of Palestinian territory.”
Evacuating the Strip by expelling two million Palestinians living in this area to carry out the reconstruction of an area destroyed by bombs and turning it into a luxury resort on the eastern Mediterranean Sea has sparked a heated international debate, with the proposal being likened to a “forced deportation” as Palestinians would no longer be allowed to return.
Forced deportation is prohibited by various provisions of the Geneva Convention, signed by the United States after World War II, and by the International Criminal Court. It becomes a crime against humanity when a substantial part of the population is targeted.
As meetings continue at all levels to assess a peace plan, the inhabitants of Gaza still fear for their fate.
